Philippines no longer recalling COVID-19 vaccines sent to provinces

The Philippines will no longer recall the COVID-19 doses that it already sent to the provinces so it could inoculate community health workers in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the coronavirus spread in the country.

According to Tuesday Niu's report on Super Radyo dzBB, National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez said bringing back the vaccines would be difficult because their transportation required delicate handling.

Galvez said he would talk to Health Secretary Francisco Duque to recommend using AstraZeneca vaccines initially set aside for the second shots of health workers who have been inoculated on health workers who have yet to get their first.

He said 1.4 million doses of Sinovac would arrive in March. He said these would be used for those who have not yet received the vaccine in the region.

Treatment czar Health undersecretary Leopoldo Vega previously said that it is not plausible to recall vaccines that were already deployed, especially to far areas.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said the government would "borrow" COVID-19 vaccines already sent to the provinces with low cases to vaccinate more health workers and frontliners in NCR. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News