Philippines approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use

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MANILA - The Philippines' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine, FDA head Enrique Domingo said on Thursday.

"Based on the totality of evidence available to date, including data from adequate and well-known controlled trials, it is reasonable to believe that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose, or treat COVID-19," Domingo said at an online briefing.

He added that "the known and potential benefits of the Pfizer vaccine when used to diagnose, prevent, treat COVID-19, outweigh the known and potential risks of said vaccine as of date."

Domingo said the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine "is effective immediately."

Pfizer applied for EUA on Dec 23 last year.

Meanwhile, Domingo said China's Sinovac Biotech applied for EUA on Wednesday. "Pre-assessment" of the application is ongoing, he added.

Aside from Sinovac, the FDA has yet to approve the COVID-19 vaccines and EUA applications filed by AstraZeneca and Russia's Gamaleya.