QUEZON CITY,  (PIA) -- COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX urges country leaders to recognize fully vaccinated people regardless of vaccine brand when deciding who can travel or attend events, said a joint COVAX statement Thursday, July 1.

COVID-19 vaccines that have been deemed safe and effective by either the World Health Organization or the 11 Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRAs) aim to protect public health across the globe – people’s lives and livelihoods, including their ability to travel and conduct trade.

As trade, commerce, and travel resume in some parts of the world, brand preferences “undermine confidence in life-saving vaccines that have already been shown to be safe and effective, affecting uptake of vaccines and potentially putting billions of people at risk,” COVAX said.

The Philippines has achieved more than 10 million jabs out of 15.3 million doses of vaccines received as of June 27, 2021, comprising of 10 million doses of Sinovac, 2.5 million doses of Pfizer Biotech, 165,000 doses of Sputnik Component I, 15,000 doses of Sputnik Component II, and 2.5 million doses of Astranezica. (MTQ/PIA-IDPD)