AT least a million COVID-19 vaccines have expired because of short shelf life and a declining number of individuals going to vaccination centers, Dr Ted Herbosa, adviser of the National Task Force against COVID-19, said yesterday.
But there is enough supply and government will continue to find the unvaccinated and those due for their second dose and booster shots, he said.
Herbosa, in an interview with radio dzBB, said most of the vaccines that expired were donated to the Philippines and arrived in the country only with about three months until expiration date or shelf life.
Before expired vaccines are declared unusable, Herbosa said, their manufacturers are asked if they can still be used or have an expanded shelf life.
Expired vaccines are considered wastage which occurs also when there are problems with storage and distribution, or an individual scheduled for vaccination backs out or does not show up on his jab day.
The Department of Health has said a 5 percent wastage of COVID-19 vaccines is deemed acceptable.
About 242.1 million doses of vaccines have arrived in the country as of March 27, and around 140 million doses have been administered nationwide.
Herbosa said the other reason the vaccines are expiring is that fewer people are going to the vaccination centers to get their primary jabs and booster shots.
The government has started administering vaccines in workplaces and public transportation terminals including train stations to reach more people.
Herbosa said many fully vaccinated individuals appeared to have lost interest in getting their booster shots. He reminded the public that the effectivity of vaccines appears to wane after three months, which makes the booster shot important.
As of March 21, some 65.2 million individuals have been fully vaccinated, or around 72.49 percent of the target, while 11.576 million have received booster shots.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a briefing, said some 33 million fully vaccinated individuals are due for the booster shot.
She said only 11.8 million individuals have received their booster shot out of the 44 million fully vaccinated individuals for over three months in the country.
She said the low number of individuals who have had booster shots may be attributed to the misconception that the primary vaccine series is enough protection against COVID-19.
Other reasons, she said, are continued vaccine misinformation spread by some groups and the belief of senior citizens that they do not need to get vaccinated because of their advanced age.
Vergeire said the government will continue to bring the vaccines closer to the people, including administering vaccines in workplaces, schools, malls, and other public spaces.
“We also have our special vaccination days. Hopefully, this can lead to increased number of booster shots administered,” said Vergeire.
Special vaccination days are scheduled from March 29 to 31 in Cebu province, Cotabato City, and Davao Region while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will have theirs from March 30 to April 1.
The Bureau of Correction said it is on track to vaccinating all the persons deprived of liberty, or PDLs, in the New Bilibid Prison and six other penal colonies it supervises, with a vaccination rate of 86.18 percent as of March 24.
BuCor data showed 42,015 of the 48,749 PDLs are fully vaccinated.
At the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, 24,277 inmates have been inoculated followed by 6,131 in the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao Del Norte (DPPF), and 555 at the DPPF women’s correctional facility.
The NBP has 28,740 inmates in its minimum and maximum security detention facilities. — With Gerard Naval and Ashzel Hachero
