President Rodrigo Duterte himself was the one who ordered not to announce anymore the brand of COVID-19 vaccines to be used in various inoculation sites to prevent people from flocking for a particular brand, Malacanang said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a televised press briefing, insisted that all brands of vaccines being used in the country underwent thorough evaluation and they are all effective and safe.

"It's the President himself who ordered (not to announce the vaccine brand to be rolled out in the vaccination sites) because he saw how the people did not follow the social distancing in some places where the announced vaccines to be used were Pfizer (brand)," he said when asked that the new policy of the Department of Health not to announce the vaccines to be rolled out could be a violation of the right to information.

Roque was referring to the incidents early this week in Paranaque City and Manila where people queued when they learned that Pfizer vaccines would be used.

"The best vaccine is what is injected to your arms," he said.

Currently, the available vaccine brands in the country are those manufactured by Sinovac of China, AstraZeneca of United Kingdom, Gamaleya of Russia, and Pfizer of the United States.

AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines have been delivered in the country through COVAX facility while the two other vaccine brands were purchased by the government. Celerina Monte/DMS