DOH: COVID-19 vaccines unused by March 24 to be brought to hotspots

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said coronavirus vaccines that will remain unused by March 24 will be transferred to areas suffering the brunt of the fresh surge in infections.

“We have been vaccinating a long time already. This vaccination should have been finished in a certain period of time,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. “They have to do this expeditiously specially now that the cases are rising.”

“We gave them a deadline. We told them that the vaccines must be used up by March 24. If they fail to do so, we will take their supply so we can vaccinate those who have not been inoculated in areas with a high number of cases.”

Vergeire stressed this does not mean that some vaccination sites will permanently lose their supply since more stocks will be redeployed once additional doses arrive in the country.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was the first to float the idea of “borrowing” COVID-19 vaccines from areas with low uptake

The proposal was opposed by the League of Provinces of the Philippines, who said the vaccine supply in the provinces was already limited. 

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and treatment czar Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega also raised logistical concerns about the proposal to transfer vaccines from one area to another. 

The DOH said it would continue to study the matter.

The Philippines has vaccinated 336,656 health workers as of March 20. — RSJ, GMA News