Senate Pres. Sotto rejects Duterte's Pfizer vaccine offer

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has rejected President Rodrigo Duterte's offer to procure Pfizer vaccines for senators, stating "Thanks but no thanks."

Duterte had previously suggested ordering Pfizer vaccines for senators after citing reports of deaths in Norway following Pfizer vaccinations.

Sotto believes President Duterte was misinformed about the Senate's stance, as the chamber, convened as a Committee of the Whole, does not favor any particular vaccine brand.

The Senate president questioned how the President got the idea that senators favored Pfizer, suggesting he may not have been fully informed about the ongoing hearings.

Investigations in Norway are ongoing to determine if there is a direct link between the Pfizer vaccine and the deaths of elderly individuals who had pre-existing conditions.