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| Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the Vaccine Mix and Match study is ready to start once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it. (Photo from Manila Bulletin) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The Philippines’ study on the safety and immunogenicity of mixing different coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines and vaccine platforms in Filipino adults may start soon. During his weekly report on Friday, Oct. 22, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the Vaccine Mix and Match study is ready to start once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it, Manila Bulletin reported.
He said to date, around 400 doses of Sinovac vaccines have already been delivered to the Marikina City site for the dry run. “This study is a multi-site, convenience sampling, unblinded trial which will determine the safety and immunogenicity of completing the vaccination series with available COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines to those given Sinovac as the first dose,” he said. The 18 month-long Philippine Society for Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (PSAAI) study which was initially targeted to start by June this year is led by Dr. Michelle De Vera.
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development (R&D) Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, who heads the Task Group on Vaccine Evaluation and Selection (TG-VES), said the “Mix and Match” or MnM study has already secured approvals of the DOST-Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP), Single Joint Research Ethics Board (SJREB), and site institutional review boards.
