Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 26) — The Philippines would have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines it earlier received for free from COVAX if it fails to justify why some government officials and personalities cut the priority line in the vaccination drive.
TIMELINE: COVID-19 vaccine deliveries and rollout in the Philippines
This is according to the rules shared by Gavi, the vaccine alliance leading the global COVAX initiative along with the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Gavi was asked to comment on the Philippines’ vaccination program, which is being criticized for its failure to ensure that healthcare workers will be the first to get their COVID-19 shots.
Gavi said countries should follow the COVID-19 National Deployment Vaccination Plan they had submitted, and any departure from it will be investigated.
“Variations from the planned prioritization would constitute misuse, unless updates to plans are shared with COVAX and are documented, rationalized and evidence-based,” Gavi said in a statement sent to CNN Philippines on Friday.
“If misuse is determined, countries will be held to account and will be required to reimburse COVAX,” Gavi added.
The Philippines has received 525,600 AstraZeneca doses from COVAX, which provides vaccines to developing countries to ensure equitable access.
In total, 1.5 million doses have reached the Philippines, including some 1 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine donated by China.
The country’s 1.7 million health care workers are top priority in the national vaccination plan, followed by senior citizens and people with comorbidities, and other frontline workers. Despite the limited supply of vaccines, however, those who are not medical frontliners, including local and national government officials and personalities have jumped the queue and got inoculated.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has asked five mayors to explain why they put themselves first in the vaccination. Show cause orders are being prepared against more local officials, the DILG said.
Mayors, governors, and village chiefs were recently moved up in the vaccine priority list, but they can only be inoculated after health workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.
Earlier, WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe warned the Philippines could lose millions of donated doses if it fails to follow the requirement to prioritize health workers and vulnerable sectors.
CNN Philippines’ Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report.
