Only licensed health workers can inject Pfizer bivalent jabs to be sold – FDA

MANILA, Philippines —Only licensed healthcare professionals will be allowed to administer the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will soon sell in the Philippines, the  Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.

In a press briefing, FDA Director General Samuel Zacate said that the Pfizer bivalent vaccines can only be injected onsite once purchased from a pharmacy. Buyers will not be allowed to bring the jabs home or outside the store.

A doctor’s prescription will also be required for those purchasing the Pfizer bivalent vaccines, the FDA said.

The FDA announced on Monday that it has granted a certificate of product registration (CPR) for Pfizer's bivalent shots, which can be received by adults and children 12 years old and above. 

The CPR will be valid for five years and was granted “after a comprehensive evaluation process [and] extensive clinical trials … of all scientific data,” the FDA said. 

In the same press briefing, representatives from the Center for Drug Regulation and Research  (CDRR) said Pfizer has yet to specify the price of the vaccines once available in the market. 

CDRR Director Jesus Joyce Cirunay also said that Pfizer has yet to provide details on when it will distribute the stocks of the bivalent jabs in the Philippines.

Cirunay added that the Pfizer bivalent jabs can only be sold by pharmacies with the right cold storage facilities that can properly refrigerate the vaccines. 

"The boutiques that will sell the vaccines should have cold chain storage mechanisms, because the requirement is very specific,” Cirunay said in Filipino. 

"But this can be bought anywhere because it has a market authorization," she added.

Cirunay said that there have also been other vaccine manufacturers that have applied for CPR in the country. These are currently under evaluation.

Based on the latest DOH data, at least 78.4 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 23.8 million have received at least one booster dose. — Cristina Chi