DOH: Philippines can still use existing COVID-19 vaccine stocks

MANILA, Philippines — Even after the state of calamity due to COVID-19 has expired, the Department of Health (DOH) said the country can still use its existing stocks of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to address the need of the population.

At a press briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country has a total of 17,488,050 vaccines stored in warehouses.

“We can still make use of our existing stocks of vaccines. We still have vaccines left here in the country and these come in large amount,” Vergeire said.

“Of this 17 million plus, around six million are quarantined, meaning we are still waiting for the evidence and application of our manufacturers for us to extend their shelf life,” she said.

“We have this batch of vaccines that will last for half a year before expiration. There are those that will expire after the first quarter of the year and there are those expiring after the second quarter,” the health official added.

Vergeire also said that based on the law, if the state of calamity had lapsed, the validity of the emergency use authorization or EUA can still be used.

“It’s still valid for a year after the lapse of the state of calamity. That is what we are using now as basis for us to have continuity in this COVID-19 vaccination program,” she added.

At the same time, Vergeire said that based also on the law, the DOH can now go through the usual mode of procurement for vaccines following the expiration of the state of calamity.?

“This means we can go through that process wherein we can procure new batch of vaccines under Republic Act 9184. Under RA 9184, we have a provision there that we can engage in negotiated procurement,” she said.

The DOH OIC also disclosed that there are offers of donations of bivalent vaccines from other countries.

“And we are working on these that is needed by the population,” Vergeire added.

She stressed, “All in all, we just like to assure the Filipino people that we still have sufficient stock of vaccines to provide specifically for our eligible population.”