By NG Seruela
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday (May 19) recommended the nondisclosure of vaccine brands at vaccination sites to prevent overcrowding.
In today’s Laging Handa public briefing, DOH Undersecretary and National Vaccine Operations Center (NVOC) Chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said the public must accept whatever vaccines are available at their respective vaccination sites.
“Maybe one of the strategies that can be made is hindi na ia-announce kung anong bakuna ang ibibigay,” she said, following the reported crowding at several vaccination sites over a specific brand of vaccine.
“So, kung gusto ninyong magpabakuna, pumunta kayo sa ganitong facility o kaya vaccination site, tapos kung ano iyong bakuna na available, iyon ang dapat na kunin nila.”
She said their general principle is to take the available vaccine because it will “help the flow.”
“I think kung ano iyong vaccine that is available – that has always been the principle. Ang binigyan lang natin ng right of first refusal, iyong A1, iyong mga health workers, kasi these are the vulnerable groups.”
Cabotaje said the health workers were given the right of first refusal because the Sinovac vaccine was “not recommended for health workers” according to its emergency use authorization (EUA). However, the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) decided to forego the condition since the health workers needed to be vaccinated immediately.
The Sinovac vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in the Philippines.
“But given the EUA, doon lang nila nabigyan ng right of first refusal. Other than that, dapat wala ng right of refusal, kung ano iyong vaccine, kunin mo. Kapag hindi po kunin, then you go down [to] end of the line,” she added. -jlo
