WHO proposed to use AstraZeneca's initial shipment as 1st dose —Galvez

The World Health Organization has recommended the use of the first shipment of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines as the first dose for health workers, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.

“‘Yun po ang recommendation ng WHO at sinusundan po namin ‘yun" (That is the recommendation of the WHO and we follow that), he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

Galvez said he, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon have signed a formal recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte.

WHO's intension in making the recommendation was to get a larger population  of health workers we can possibly protect, he said.

Duterte earlier balked at Galvez and Duque’s suggestion to use all 525,600 AstraZeneca doses for the first shot instead of splitting the shipment into two jabs. 

The President expressed concern that the next batch of AstraZeneca vaccines, which will supposedly be used as the second dose for those who got inoculated in the first batch, might not arrive on time.

“They assured us that there will be another tranche of AstraZeneca coming this April,” Galvez stressed.

The Philippines is among the recipients of vaccine doses from the COVAX Facility, a WHO-led initiative aimed at equitable access to vaccines.

A total of 240,297 health workers have gotten vaccinated as of Tuesday night. —LBG, GMA News