CEBU CITY – Amid reports of vaccines being sold illegally, the Visayan Vaccine Operations Center (VVOC) reminded the public not to buy coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) jabs and report to authorities individuals or organizations selling it.
Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said the people should not buy vaccine doses from individuals or organizations discreetly selling it without authority from the government.
“Sale of vaccines as of the moment is prohibited because none of the vaccines acquire approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What we have right now are purchased by the government under the emergency use authorization (EUA),” Loreche said in the local dialect during a radio interview.
The FDA is authorized under EUA to help strengthen public health protection against Covid-19 by facilitating the purchase of drugs and vaccines.
Loreche, who is also VVOC spokesperson, warned individuals illegally selling vaccines that they would be facing charges once they are caught by authorities. She surmised that peddled vaccines were sourced out through the black market.
“Why put ourselves in danger by being inoculated with vaccines with unknown origin? We don’t know if they are fake vaccines and we don’t know its composition,” she said, pointing out that there is no need to buy vaccines as these are being provided by the government for free.
She said they have not received any report of vaccine sale in the Visayas but noted that a nurse was recently arrested in Manila for selling 300 doses of Sinovac.
Loreche urged Cebuanos to report to authorities any incident of Covid-19 jabs peddling.
Source: Philippines News Agency