Sinovac vaccine set to be first rolled out next year

Chinese firm Sinovac's vaccine is set to be the first to be rolled out under the Philippines' mass immunization program, with inoculations expected in the first quarter of 2021.

Despite reports of bribery allegations against Sinovac, President Duterte trusts FDA chief Rolando Domingo to ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

The Philippines will also receive vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech later in the year.

Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña stated that the Department of Science and Technology relied on clinical trial data submitted by Sinovac for evaluation, with another team handling procurement.