The head of the Presidential Security Group yesterday disclosed President Rodrigo Duterte has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Sinopharm vaccine, only to be denied hours later by presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
“Gen. [Jesus] Durante was mistakenly informed by his medical staff that a second dose was already administered to the President,” Roque said in a statement.
Roque said the PSG chief has already rectified his remarks and apologized for the confusion.
Earlier in the day, Durante said the President received his second dose of the vaccine 14 days after getting the first jab.
“The President is now fully vaccinated, and this is very important,” Durante said, adding Duterte was first inoculated on May 3.
The World Health Organization recommends an interval of three to four weeks between the first and second doses for this particular vaccine.
Sinopharm has been issued emergency use authorization by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration on June 7, or weeks after Duterte received the first dose.
It was in February that Sinopharm was given a compassionate use permit by the FDA.
Meanwhile, former President Fidel Ramos has received his COVID-19 jab in one of Muntinlupa’s vaccination sites.
Ramos, 92, received his second dose of Sinovac’s Coronavac at De La Salle Santiago Zobel vaccination site on June 25.
Ayala Alabang Kagawad Dr. Lester Suntay administered the COVID-19 vaccine to the former president.
Ramos encouraged the public to register in the city’s vaccination program and get their COVID-19 jab as protection against the virus.