Strategy in place for AstraZeneca vax use before May expiry

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday assured that no AstraZeneca vaccine would be wasted despite its upcoming expiration date in May 2021.

Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire confirmed that the more than 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca shots Manila received through the COVAX Facility are expiring “by end of May” this year.

Vergeire, however, said there is nothing to worry about because a strategy is in place to administer the second dose on time or within four to 12 weeks after the first shot.

“It is not expired, sa end pa ng May. Na-compute na namin iyan at aabot po ‘yong intervals sa second doses and the current doses that we have (It is not expired, we still have until end of May. We’ve already computed it and we have enough time for the intervals between the second and current doses),” she said in a virtual briefing.

“Ang second dose naman niyan, you can give from four weeks to 12 weeks. So pasok na pasok naman po ang ating schedule at aabot naman po lahat sa pagbabakuna natin ito (We’re well within the schedule because the second dose can be given within four to 12 weeks).”

Vergeire noted that almost all vaccines available against the coronavirus disease 2019 or those under emergency use authority have a short shelf life or six months at maximum.

“Actually parang purposively ang ginawa talagang pinaka-mahabang expiry date ngayon ay six months kasi alam ng mga manufacturers na evolving ‘yong ating sitwasyon at maaaring kailangan nilang baguhin or iayos itong mga bakunang pinapagamit sa mga bansa kaya ganoon ang expiry (Actually, the longest expiry date at present is six months because manufacturers understand that the situation is evolving and that they may have to change the formulation of these vaccines in the future),” she said.

As of this writing, the DOH estimated that 12,788 individuals have so far been inoculated with AstraZeneca vaccines.