Makati joins clinical trial for Janssen vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — Around 1,000 participants from Makati joined the clinical trial for the single-shot vaccine of pharmaceutical firm Janssen, a Belgium-based division of Johnson & Johnson, Mayor Abby Binay said yesterday.

“It’s good that Janssen conducted a clinical trial in the Philippines because they could use their studies to show to the people that Janssen vaccines are OK,” Binay said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

The clinical trial should have started early this month, Binay said.

She added it would take months before the efficacy of the vaccine could be determined.

Binay said she is rooting for the Janssen vaccine.

According to Johnson & Johnson, the vaccine showed 72-percent efficacy among moderate to severe COVID-19 cases in the US, and 85 percent efficacy 28 days after inoculation.

Binay said city residents have expressed doubts about COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Chinese pharmaceutical companies.

“Hindi ko sinasabing hindi maganda, but the people’s perception of the Chinese vaccines is not good,” she said.

Makati has allocated P1 billion for the city’s vaccination program.

The local government has secured one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca.