The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Philippines has issued an emergency use authorization (EAU) for Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, clearing the way for its use in a country hardest hit by the pandemic in Southeast Asia.

Considered as the historic approval – a first of its kind in the Philippines – was issued on Thursday, January 14, marking a milestone in the country’s fight against the disease which has so far infected over 492,000 people and killed nearly 10,000.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo announced in a virtual press briefing,
“The FDA today is granting an emergency use authorization to Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.”

The FDA decision would mean that the Pfizer vaccine can be distributed to Filipinos in a matter of weeks, with health and pandemic officials targeting an initial rollout by the end of February.

Meanwhile, the timeline of the vaccine administration and the actual number of doses that will arrive remain uncertain as the government has yet to finalize a supply deal with Pfizer.