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Vaccines

Senator Imee Marcos Urges Wider Emergency Use Approval for Repurposed COVID-19 Drugs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Senator Imee Marcos has appealed to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant a wider emergency use approval for repurposed drugs like ivermectin and other preventive treatments for COVID-19. With the expected arrival of Russia's Sputnik vaccine delayed, Marcos emphasized the need for preventive treatments and repurposed drugs to be used while waiting for vaccines. She cited setbacks in delivery timelines worldwide, including India's cutback on vaccine exports and production and delivery delays in the EU and the UK.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator Imee Marcos has appealed to the DOH and FDA for a wider emergency use approval of repurposed drugs like ivermectin and other preventive treatments for COVID-19.
  • The delay in the arrival of Russia's Sputnik vaccine has led Marcos to emphasize the need for preventive treatments and repurposed drugs to be used while waiting for vaccines.
  • Marcos cited setbacks in delivery timelines worldwide, including India's cutback on vaccine exports and production and delivery delays in the EU and the UK.
  • Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, has shown potential in reducing the likelihood of COVID-19 infection in a recent study in Singapore.
  • The FDA has granted emergency use of Ivermectin, but only to certain hospitals.
  • Senator Marcos pointed out that the cost of Ivermectin is only P35, raising questions about the reasons for limited approval.
  • As of April 21, only 201,521 Filipinos have received complete vaccination since the government's roll-out started in March.
  • The government's yearend goal is to administer 148 million jabs of single-dose and double-dose vaccines to cover 78 million Filipinos.

Statistics:

  • 125,596 (out of 108 million) or approximately 1/4 of the population have received their first dose of the vaccine as of April 21.
  • 201,521 Filipinos have received complete vaccination since the government's roll-out started in March.
  • The government aims to administer 148 million jabs of single-dose and double-dose vaccines to cover 78 million Filipinos.
  • This translates to a daily vaccination rate of approximately 313,446 people per day from May to the end of the year.

Sources:

[1] Senator Imee Marcos's official statement on April 26.

[2] Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) April 21 report.

[3] World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 vaccine distribution guidelines.

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