UPDATE 1-Philippines approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use

(Adds more details, comments from FDA chief)
MANILA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Philippines' Food and Drug
Administration has authorised for emergency use the COVID-19
vaccine developed by Pfizer PFE.N and BioNTech 22UAy.DE , the
first to be approved in the country, which has among the most
coronavirus cases in Asia.
FDA head Rolando Enrique Domingo said the Pfizer-BioNTech
vaccine, which has shown a 95% success rate, could be effective
in preventing COVID-19, with which nearly half a million people
in the Philippines have been infected.
"The benefit of using vaccine outweighs the known and
potential risks," he told a briefing, adding "no specific safety
concerns were identified."
The Philippines has had difficulties convincing the public
to use vaccines in recent years and an opinion poll last week
showed less than a third of people were willing to get
inoculated against the coronavirus, with concerns over safety.
It is due to receive the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech's
vaccines in the first quarter through the COVAX facility, on top
of a deal it is negotiating directly with the vaccine maker.
Domingo also said China's Sinovac Biotech SVA.O on
Wednesday submitted its emergency use authorization application.
That followed the release of late-stage trial data in Brazil
that showed efficacy at just 50.4%. The Philippines has secured
25 million doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac, with the first 50,000
to arrive in February.
President Rodrigo Duterte defended the government's purchase
of CoronaVac, saying on Wednesday night that it was as good as
the shots developed by Americans and Europeans. The Philippines has trailed regional peers in securing
vaccines, with which it hopes this year to inoculate 70 million
people, or two-thirds of its population.
Carlito Galvez, who handles the vaccine procurement for the
government, said it has now firmed-up supply deals with Novavax
NVAX.O , Moderna MRNA.O , AstraZeneca AZN.L , Johnson &
Johnson JNJ.N , and Russia's Gamaleya Institute.
AstraZeneca and Gamaleya have pending emergency use
applications with the FDA.