At least 348 vials of Sinovac vaccines intended for senior citizens were feared to have expired after these were stored in a non-functional freezer in Makilala, North Cotabato.
Dr. Eva Rabay, North Cotabato provincial health chief, said on Thursday (May 13) that the 348 vaccines had been forwarded to the Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12 office here to determine if the doses are still safe for use.
Lito Cañedo, Makilala Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) spokesperson, said the vaccines were kept at the municipal health office’s freezer. However, a brownout occurred at 12:30 p.m. last Friday (May 7).
“Because of the brownout, the health workers and the police in charge of securing the vaccines decided to transfer the vials to the freezer of the Makilala Police office,” Cañedo said, adding that the freezer was powered by a generator during the duration of the brownout.
“Nobody noticed on Friday (May 7) that the freezer was not switched back to the regular power supply from the generator. Saturday and Sunday were no work days; it was only on Monday morning (May 10) that it was discovered by the personnel in charge from the town health office,” he added.
“I doubt if it was not spoiled,” he said in the vernacular. The DOH-12 officials are yet to issue a statement whether the vaccines are damaged or not. – (PNA) / CF-rir