10k COVID-19 vaccine doses wasted ‘within acceptable range’ —DOH

At least 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been thrown away since the country began its immunization campaign in March, a figure the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday was within the global standard.

“When we look at the number of vaccines that were already provided to the population, which is about 40 plus million already, [and] comparing [this] to 10,000, this would yield a very, very small percentage,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.

Vergeire said a wastage rate of 5% is acceptable based on the guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

“The 10,000 [vaccine doses] were still within the acceptable range,” she added.

Logistics issues and “unforeseen events” such as power outages and storms were among the causes of wastage, she said.

The Philippines has so far administered 41.41 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 18.56 million Filipinos now fully vaccinated, according to the government.—AOL, GMA News