Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 3) — The government is keeping over 14,000 expired AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from Negros Occidental, a Health official said Friday, in case the drug company applies for an extension of the expiry date for these shots.
“Kinuha natin…tinago natin, we stored [them] with defined storage guidelines para magiging efficacious parin siya, or epektibo pa rin siya kapag binigay kung saka-sakali,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online forum..
[Translation: We took them, we stored them with defined storage guidelines so they can still be efficacious in case we give them away.]
“We coordinated with the manufacturer — kinakausap kung magkakaroon din sila ng pag-a-apply sila ng (if it will apply for an) extension of shelf life for these vaccines para magamit pa rin po even after this expiry date,” she added.
Vergeire, citing reports, said a number of local officials refused to accept the vaccines as they were about to expire when offered to them, while others preferred other brands.
Vergeire said they will investigate the incident.
She also reminded local governments that even nearly expired vaccines “can still be used” and are “effective.”
Meanwhile, Pfizer earlier applied for an extension of the shelf life of its vaccine, Vergeire said.
“They found based on continuing studies of their vaccines that we can extend the shelf life of their vaccines up to another three months from the time they are set to expire,” she added.
