The Department of Health (DOH) urged the private sector to continue the “established coordination” with the agency’s Centers for Health Development (CHDs) and local government units (LGUs) regarding their vaccination strategies and plans to utilize their Covid-19 vaccine supplies nearing expiration date.
The DOH, through the National Covid-19 Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) is keen on the efficient deployment and administration of Covid-19 vaccines to as many Filipinos as possible, especially in light of an adequate supply of doses.
Former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose ‘Joey’ Concepcion III in a statement, Concepcion slammed the DOH and the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) on their late decision to allow 50 years and older, and for 18 to 49 year-olds with comorbidities to receive their second booster shot.
Concepcion said that the final tally of expired Covid vaccines in private sector warehouses is 4,252,830, translating to a loss of $100.1 million, or an estimate of P5.1 billion.
However, in a statement on Thursday nigjt, the DOH said that through a multisectoral approach that has included the private sector, “efforts have been focused on increasing primary series coverage, as well as the number of eligible private sector employees given their first booster shots.”
As early as October 2021, government policy (Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2021-0002) gave the private sector an option to donate its Covid-19 vaccines directly to LGUs.
“The law also allows chief medical officers of private companies to make their own vaccine recipient lists and implement steps that could expedite vaccine deployment and prevent expiry,” the DOH said.
According to the DOH, data from the Zuellig Pharma Cold Chain Warehouse showed that beginning December 19, 2021, the private sector received 12.4 million AstraZeneca and Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses procured through government mechanisms, with expiry dates in July and August 2022.
“At the time these private sector-procured vaccines came in, there were 8.1 million working Filipinos – economic frontliners – already due for their first booster,” the DOH said.
This demand, the DOH said, grew to as high as 14 million economic frontliners as of July 26, 2022.
Even if all the economic frontliners due for first boosters were given their company shots in December, the DOH added, there would still be around 1.6 million workers waiting for their first boosters after all near-expiring private doses have been consumed.
“DOH highly recommends for the private sector to continue the established coordination with the DOH Centers for Health Development and LGUs regarding their Covid-19 vaccination strategies and plans to utilize their Covid-19 vaccine supplies,” the DOH reiterated
The DOH also assured that they will continue coordinating the process of reverse logistics in all levels of governance to ensure proper accounting of the vaccines.
” In the spirit of unity, we look forward to stronger partnership with the private sector in attaining our goals for a stronger wall of immunity,” the DOH concluded.
Image credits: Wikipedia