Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) — Over a million doses of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines donated by the COVAX facility will arrive in the country next month, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
“Lumabas na yung EUA (emergency use authority) nung bivalent vaccines na ido-donate sa atin which is Pfizer coming from COVAX. Nung lumabas na yung EUA na ito, nagtuluy-tuloy na yung negosasyon with COVAX facility and they have committed na in three to four weeks darating na yung mga bakuna natin,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told a media briefing on Tuesday.
[Translation: The EUA for the bivalent vaccines has been released, which will be Pfizer vaccines from COVAX. Negotiations with COVAX continued after the EUA’s release, and they committed the doses will arrive in three to four weeks.]
Vergeire said the vaccines — which target both the original coronavirus and the highly contagious Omicron variant and its sub-variants — will be given to those in the priority population, namely medical frontliners and senior citizens.
“Yung ating matatanggap dito sa pauna, these are just 1,002,000 doses coming from COVAX [We will initially receive 1,002,000 doses from COVAX]… We are now prioritizing A1 and A2 population,” she said.
The EUA issued by the Food and Drug Administration in December last year stated that there should be a four-month interval in the administration of the vaccine.
\”There should be an interval of at least 4-6 months between administration of COVID-19 Vaccine Pfizer Bivalent and the last prior dose of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 Vaccine Pfizer Bivalent is only indicated for individuals who have previously received at least a primary vaccination course against COVID-19,\” the FDA said.
Vergeire also said the guidelines for the bivalent vaccines have been finalized.
