QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Guevara, affirmed on Tuesday, July 13, that six areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) have been selected for the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mixing vaccine trials.

During the Laging Handa Public Briefing hosted by the Presidential Communications Operarations Office, USec. Guevara said the proposed sites of the trials include the cities of Manila, Pasig, Quezon, and Muntinlupa, along with some circumferential districts like Antipolo-Marikina and Makati-Pasay.  

A total of 3,000 eligible participants are projected to take part in the whole trial period using the vaccines that are already present in the vaccine portfolio of the Philippines. These are AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik V, and Sinovac-developed jabs. 

To ensure the "consistency and uniformity" of the data that will be gathered from the trial, volunteers are set to undergo screening procedures based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of scientific studies. Particularly, those individuals who have not yet received any COVID-19 vaccine are generally preferred to participate in the clinical study. 

Meanwhile, Usec. Guevara raised the importance of conducting vaccine trials prior to commercialization as doing such will assess the ‘safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity’ of the anti-COVID jabs especially in terms of responding to the emerging challenges brought by variants of concern. 

Recently, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan signed a letter of agreement formalizing the WHO Vaccine Solidarity Trial in the Philippines.

This primarily stipulates the development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine that is relevant to the necessity of Filipino population in terms of immunization doses, its administration, as well as manufacturing. (PIA-NCR with reports from OJT Janna Pineda)