DOH: Two more countries offering bivalent COVID-19 jabs to Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Tuesday said the agency is in talks with two more countries that offered to donate bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.
“We are continuing negotiations and discussions with these countries so we can confirm immediately if the vaccines can be utilized in the country,” Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. She did not disclose the two nations that offered to donate jabs.
The DOH said last week that the Philippines will receive 300,000 bivalent jabs from another nation.
The COVAX facility will also donate around one million doses of Pfizer’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. The donated jabs are expected to arrive in the country by end-March.
A bivalent vaccine targets both the original strain of the virus the causes COVID-19 and Omicron subvariants.
Vergeire also said that the guidelines on the use of bivalent vaccines are being finalized.
"Hopefully, by next week the guidelines will be out so our local governments can start their preparations," she said.
Healthcare workers, senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities will be prioritized in the rollout of bivalent jabs.
Vergeire in January said also the emergency use authorizations of vaccines are still valid even after the state of calamity declared during the Duterte presidency lapsed.
"So that’s what we are using now as a basis for us to have continuity in this COVID-19 vaccination program," she said.
The Philippines can also do "negotiated procurement," the health official under the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The latest DOH data also showed that 73.8 million—or 94.57% of the target population—were fully immunized against COVID-19. However, only 21.45 million individuals received boosters. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
- Latest
- Trending
