Vaccine wastage in typhoon-hit areas minimal – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — A hundred vials of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines were wasted in Region 6 due to a power outage caused by Typhoon Odette, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, they are closely monitoring the situation in typhoon-hit areas.

However, they received reports that the Pfizer vaccines in Tinangawan in Iloilo province got wasted because of a power interruption resulting from the typhoon.

Vergeire assured the public that the cluster would be “replenishing” the wasted jabs in the region.

Citing reports from the National Vaccination Operations Clusters, Vergeire noted that there has been “minimum” vaccine wastage due to the calamity.

“Thanks to the local government units (LGUs), because the impact of the typhoon on our vaccines had been minimized,” she told a press briefing.

Vergeire added the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had reported “no vaccine wastage” while the assessments for Regions VII, VIII and Caraga are still ongoing.

DOH Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center head Myrna Cabotaje, meanwhile, said that a majority of typhoon-hit areas were expected to resume their COVID-19 inoculation yesterday.

However, some LGUs have signified their plan to resume the jabbing by Dec. 27 or 28.

Cabotaje added this is because the LGUs are focused on “relief, rescue and rehabilitation” of the affected areas.

She underscored that LGUs could resume the COVID-19 jabbing at the evacuation centers.

“It’s up to LGUs when they will resume vaccination. But they can do the vaccination at the evacuation sites,” she maintained.

More vaccines arrive

The COVAX Facility donated some 1,775,955 doses of US-made Pfizer that arrived yesterday around 4 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on board Emirates Airline flight EK 332.

Another COVAX shipment of US-made Pfizer vaccines procured by the government also arrived last night at around 9:20 p.m. at NAIA Terminal 3 on board Air Hong Kong flight LF 456.

The Argentinian government donated some 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that will arrive today at NAIA 3 on board Turkish Airline flight TK084 via Turkey.

Last Sunday, the German government donated another 1,062,100 doses of US-made Moderna vaccines that arrived at around 3:30 p.m. on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ 912 via Singapore. – Rudy Santos, Jose Rodel Clapano