Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 26) — Local government units will be held responsible for wasted COVID-19 vaccines, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año warned on Monday.
“Atin pong kakasuhan ang mga concerned LGUs kapag meron pong nasayang o nag-expire na mga bakuna,” the DILG chief said during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet officials.
[Translation: We will file cases against concerned LGUs if their vaccines go to waste or expire.]
The Department of Health on Oct. 18 reported that nearly 13,000 doses have been discarded or damaged since the national COVID-19 immunization drive started in March.
In an Oct. 13 Senate budget hearing, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said inappropriate storage conditions are the most common reason behind the wastage. There were also incidents of fire in storage facilities, while some vials were accidentally dropped, she said.
Cabotaje added that a number of vials had no label and cannot be administered, while others were considered spoiled after some particulate matter were discovered.
Based on DOH figures, over half of the cases of wastage were recorded in Metro Manila, where the bulk of the country’s vaccine supply has been allocated.
Government data show that over 97 million doses have so far been delivered to the Philippines, with 55 million already administered.
