No expiring Covid-19 vax doses will go to waste: DOH

MANILA – No vaccines nearing expiry date would be put to waste as the government has devised a strategy to deploy them, a health official said Monday.

During an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed that there are vaccines donated by other governments that are set to expire by the end of November.

“Kaya po nung ating natanggap ang mga bakunang ito ay agad po natin itong dineploy at dineploy natin sa mabilis o fast moving na mga local government. They can vaccinate as many as possible in a given day, diyan po natin ibinigay ang mga bakuna at sa ngayon ginagamit na ang mga bakunang ito (When we received these vaccines, we deployed them immediately to fast moving local governments. They can vaccinate as many as possible in a given day. We gave them the vaccines and they’re now using these),” Vergeire said.

Due to the short shelf-life, several countries have faced challenges with utilizing available doses of vaccines before the expiry date, prompting them to donate these vaccines.

Health experts say Covid-19 vaccines remain stable and longer at lower temperatures and depending on how they are stored.

Regarding the procurement of US-made Moderna jabs by the private sector, Vergeire said the sector can enter into a loan arrangement with the national government where it can lend its near-expiry jabs to the national vaccination program and the government would replace them when needed.

As of October, the national government was able to collect over 350,000 doses of US-made Moderna vaccine from the private sector through the loan policy.

These vaccines have been distributed to Region 4-A (Calabarzon) and Region 3 (Central Luzon).