Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte wants to get coronavirus shots in buttocks, but critics cry foul
- Some say the president is using this as excuse to avoid revealing which vaccine he receives, amid questions over product from Chinese firm
- His health secretary compares the decision to how the queen of England did not want to be inoculated in public
“Let's respect that,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.
“The important question is, will there be an effect if a person is vaccinated in the buttocks,” Duque added. “It's the same, there is no effect at all.”
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Critics have hit out at Duterte's preference to get the shots in his buttocks as an excuse not to show to the public what vaccine he will receive amid concerns over the safety of the shots being bought by the government.
There was also speculation that he has already received a vaccine made by a Chinese manufacturer, which has been denied by his spokesmen.
To assure the public of the vaccine's safety and efficacy, Duque said the government official in charge of purchasing vaccines, Carlito Galvez Jnr, has expressed his willingness to be inoculated in public.
“We are willing to be vaccinated but we hope that when this happens, we will not be subjected to criticisms like we got VIP treatment,” he said.
The government hopes to begin its Covid-19 vaccination drive in February. It has so far signed contracts for vaccine purchases with AstraZeneca/Oxford University, Sinovac and Novovax, which all have yet to receive emergency use authorisation in the Philippines.
