Vaccines expiring; boosters pushed

MANILA, Philippines — To protect members of the workforce from rising COVID cases, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion continues to urge the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to allow second booster vaccinations, stressing that over 1.5 million vaccine doses bought by the private sector are set to expire by the end of the month.

“If you look at these expiring vaccines, that’s a lot of money. Yes, we have to focus on the first boosters, but the private sector bought these vaccines. This is my frustration,” Concepcion said during the Pandesal Forum yesterday.

“The vaccines should be used rather than left to expire. Many productive members of the workforce fall outside of the age limit set by the HTAC. Yet they also have risk factors and are exposed to the virus every day when they come to work,” Concepcion said.

He said the expiring vaccines were acquired by the private sector through the A Dose of Hope tripartite agreement, where half of the vaccines acquired are shared with the government.

Each AstraZeneca jab is estimated to cost at least $5, while Moderna shots were bought for around $27 for each dose. Of the total expiring vaccines in warehouses, 628,680 doses are AstraZeneca, while 887,360 doses are Moderna.

“The private sector has already proven that it is willing to get vaccinated. There is no need for mandates when it comes to the private sector. They don’t want to get sick and use up their sick leaves,” Concepcion said.

“The sense of urgency is not there. Government is trying to do its best, but there is this body that is moving quite slow,” he added, suggesting the country follows the lead of countries that have studied the merits of second boosters, such as the United States, Canada and Australia.

Currently, the HTAC has yet to decide whether to allow second booster shots for more Filipinos.

Target

The DOH is targeting 23 million Filipinos for COVID booster vaccination come the 100th day of the Marcos administration.

“Yes, (23 million) first booster shots,” said Vergeire, adding that such a target would be realistic considering there are nearly 50 million individuals due for booster shots.

“(Targeting all) that is not really realistic for the first 100 days. But, at least, we’re targeting 50 percent,” said Vergeire in a radio interview.

Based on DOH data, of the total 65,340,001 fully vaccinated individuals, there are 49,747,468 individuals that are still due for boosters since there are only 15,592,533 individuals that have been administered with booster shots, as of July 17.

Vergeire said the target was set during their meeting with Marcos last Monday.

“If we’re able to achieve that in these 100 days, then that’s the time we can talk if we can have new or further easing of restrictions,” she added.

General population

Iloilo Rep. and former Health Secretary Janette Garin also pushed for second booster against COVID-19 among the general population, instead of having these vaccines going to waste.

Garin underscored that private employees already want to get their second booster “but it seems those making decision on this do not have sense of urgency.”

“We asked the private sector to buy the vaccines but now they are given difficulties in using the vaccines that they bought. Do we want the people to get vaccinated illegally? … Clamor to allow a second booster has been there for months. But it seems nobody is listening,” she said.

Currently, second booster is allowed only among health care workers, senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals.

According to Garin, only 152,012,792 of the 245,233,560 vaccines procured by the government have been utilized. Aside from the four million expiring vaccines in the private sector, there are 23 million doses donated and procured by the government that are also set to expire.

Garin also warned of another major surge in COVID-19 cases if booster shots are not administered the soonest, even if the country has already achieved herd immunity with regard to the first two doses.

“If you didn’t get a booster shot, then you are undervaccinated. Therefore, you are not fully protected. The chance of being brought to the ICU (intensive care unit) or even dying is there,” she said.

Garin acknowledged that while about 71.6 million Filipinos have already been vaccinated with the primary series or the first two doses, thereby achieving herd immunity, only 15 million got their booster jabs, leaving 56 million Filipinos more still unprotected. – Sheila Crisostomo, Delon Porcalla, Rhodina Villanueva