FDA allows DOH to accept Sinopharm vaccine donations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Department of Health (DOH) to accept donations of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China.

FDA Director General Dr. Eric Domingo confirmed the approval on Monday after a review by agency experts.

This allows the DOH to formally accept donated Sinopharm vaccines.

Sinopharm's vaccine had previously received an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) in early May, making it the first Chinese vaccine to achieve this.

The WHO has also granted EUA to vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and AstraZeneca.

President Rodrigo Duterte received a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine on May 3, while its EUA application was still pending.