Covax to replace 3.6-M expired vaccine doses for free

By Myris Lee 

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday night that the COVAX facility has agreed to replace some 3.6 million expired COVID-19 vaccine doses for free.

In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte during the Talk to the People program aired Wednesday morning, he said they have already talked with COVAX facility representatives regarding the replacement request.

Duque said the replacement for the expired vaccines are newly manufactured doses that have longer expiration dates of up to six to 12 months.

“Yung COVAX, mayroon po silang stockpile ng mga bakuna with longer shelf life. So ang gagawin, ‘yung mga nag-expire na sa atin, umabot na ng mga about 3.6 million doses, which is just about 1.46% of our total inventory ng bakuna. So, yes sir, papalitan po ‘yan. Ire-replace ng COVAX facility,” Duque told Duterte

The health secretary added that they are also asking the vaccine-sharing alliance co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to also replace the procured vaccines that have expired, but there is no response yet.

The 3.6 million expired vaccine doses, which is 1.46% of the total vaccine inventory of the country, is lower than the 10% indicative vaccine wastage rate of the WHO. – ag