Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 12) — The Department of Health believes the Philippines can use up two million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines before it expires in the next two months, even rejecting the proposal to expand the vaccination to economic frontliners to prevent wastage.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje on Wednesday said using up 1.5 million shots for first dose and the remaining 530,400 as second dose is doable if the 1,047 vaccination sites in the country inoculate a minimum of 100 people daily with AstraZeneca vaccines.
She said the vaccination hit a record-high of 90,000 people per day when the AstraZeneca supply was ordered used purely for first dose.
“Kung magkaroon lang sila ng 100 vaccinees per day, aabot tayo sa ating mga target,” she told state television PTV.
[Translation: If they can have 100 vaccinees per day, we can reach our target.]
The health official said they have reached out to DOH regional offices to speed up the vaccination.
“Ang problema noon was there was no vaccine available so medyo hesitant sila magstart at maging agresibo. Now that we have enough vaccines, I’m sure they will be happy to receive it… I am sure they will adjust their strategies para maibigay ang kaukulang number of jabs within a shorter period,” Cabotaje said.
[Translation: The problem before was there was no vaccine available so they were hesitant to be aggressive with the vaccination. I am sure they will adjust their strategies to be able to give more vaccines within a shorter period.]
COVAX delivered a total of 2,030,400 AstraZeneca doses to the Philippines on May 8. Of this number, 1.5 million doses are expiring on June 30, while 530,400 will expire in July.
Dr. Tony Leachon, a health reform advocate and former adviser to the pandemic response task force, said the government should ask for the private sector’s help to speed up the rollout to prevent wastage as global supply remains a problem.
He criticized that only 40,000 to 60,000 vaccinations are being done per day, saying that the stock cannot be used by June at this rate.
According to the latest government data taken on May 4, the seven-day average of people getting vaccinated nationwide is only at 36,491.
Vaccinate A4 to prevent wastage, gov’t told
Leachon also urged the government to open up the vaccination to the next group in the priority list, which is the A4 group or the economic frontliners and government agencies.
They are next in line to receive vaccines after the A1 healthcare workers, A2 elderlies, and A3 people with comorbidities.
However, DOH rejected this proposal. Cabotaje said the World Health Organization has ordered the prioritization of the A1-A3 groups when using vaccines that were donated through COVAX.
“Ang AstraZeneca ay galing sa COVAX facility. Ang priority ng COVAX ay A1, A2, A3 so hindi natin pwede ibigay sa ibang areas,” she added.
[Translation: Our AstraZeneca doses came from COVAX. Its priority is the A1-A3 so we cannot give it to other groups.]
DOH reported that over 300,000 health workers have yet to be vaccinated, while only a measly 6% or 466,000 of the 7.7 million senior citizens have been vaccinated. Only 353,842 people with comorbidities have received their COVID-19 vaccine.
