Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 28) — The Department of Health on Saturday said reports of contaminated Moderna shots in Japan will have no impact on the Philippines’ vaccine procurement and inoculation.
During a virtual briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire assured the public that local health authorities inspect all vaccine deliveries before they are approved and deployed for use.
The Japanese government suspended the use of 1.63 million Moderna doses after finding contaminants in some vials.
“Pero hindi naman sinabi na ang kabuuan nang na-deliver sa kanila ay hindi na gagamitin, tinanggal lang ‘yung batch na ‘yun,” Vergeire said.
“Here in the Philippines, we inspect lahat ng batches ng bakuna bago gamitin, at wala tayong nakitang ganyang contamination,” she added.
[Translation: But it did not say that the whole delivery will not be used, they just removed that batch. Here in the Philippines, we inspect all batches of vaccines before we use them, and we have not found any contamination.]
The reports will not affect the Philippines’ plan to procure Moderna vaccine doses, according to Vergeire.
“We are not going to stop the Moderna inoculation,” she said.
