EDITORIAL - Proceed with caution

Lockdowns can be imposed and reimposed and people can strictly observe public health protocols to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 infection. But it’s clear that this deadly and economically disastrous pandemic can end only when a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 is finally released for mass distribution.

About 100 vaccines are said to be in development in laboratories around the world. In the global race, Russia has claimed victory, with President Vladimir Putin announcing this week that their regulators have approved the world’s first COVID vaccine, after just two months of clinical trials.

Called Sputnik V – after the world’s first satellite, which was proudly made in Russia – the vaccine has drawn widespread skepticism in the global scientific community. Among the biggest criticisms, apart from the unprecedented speed of its approval, is the lack of the requisite third phase of clinical trials for any vaccine, which requires hundreds or even thousands of participants. Sputnik V was reportedly tested on fewer than 100 people, most of them members of the Russian military. To reassure the public, Putin said his daughter has been among the first recipients of Sputnik V.

His daughter has shown no adverse side effects… so far. Experts have stressed that it can take time for the side effects of any drug, especially a vaccine, to be manifested, which might require warnings about contraindications for their use. Putin has brushed aside the concerns and is standing firm on his announcement that Russia has won the global race for COVID vaccine development.

The concerns are useful to bear in mind as the Philippines joins the global queue for COVID vaccines. Reports said pre-orders so far for various vaccine products have hit 5.7 billion. China and Russia have reported being ahead of the pack in their vaccine development, and President Duterte has said the two countries may provide the vaccines for free or at least at a discount to the Philippines.

Apart from China and Russia, the Philippines is also in talks with the other countries in advanced stages of vaccine development, notably the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan. Whichever country comes out with the first commercially available COVID vaccine, the primordial concern must always be the safety and efficacy of the product. This will have to be balanced with the urgency of administering the vaccine to Filipinos.