Duterte balks at use of AstraZeneca second doses as first jabs

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night balked at suggestions that the Philippines distribute all 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines as first jabs to cover more health workers.

Both Health Secretary Francisco Duque and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez on Monday night pushed for the use of half of the vaccines, initially meant as second jabs, as first shots for more vaccinees.

“Bakit po magandang gamitin na ‘yong 525,000 doses as first dose? To cover more health workers and frontliners. Mare-resolba rin po natin ang problema ng AstraZeneca na short-shelf life,” Duque said.

[Why is it best to use the 525,000 doses as first dose? So we can cover more health workers and frontliners. We can also resolve the short shelf life of the AstraZeneca vaccine.]

Duque said the time interval needed between first and second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is 12 weeks or three months. He said the country could expect a new shipment of AstraZeneca doses within this time.

“After three months, expired na ‘yong bakuna so by giving it as first dose, we solve that problem as well,” Duque said.

[The vaccine will be expired in three months, so by giving it as first dose, we solve that problem as well.]

Galvez said he agreed with Duque, announcing that more than 900,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines are due on March 22. It can be delayed only by up to a week, he said.

Duterte was worried that the next batch of AstraZeneca vaccines for the second dose would be delayed.

"Intended sa pangalawang injection ‘yan eh [That's intended for the second shot]… How about those needing already the second dose?" Duterte said.

"There’s a problem there kasi sabihin mo gamitin na muna sa first dose ng ‘di pa nabakunahan [if you will use it as first dose for those who have yet to be vaccinated], that’s good but the problem is the second dose would come from future deliveries,” he added.

“Okay ‘yan. Ang problema is baka hindi dumating on time [The problem is if the second batch does not arrive on time],” Duterte added.

However, Duque said the country’s World Health Organization representative can write to COVAX Facility to assure the next batch of delivery.

“According to the WHO country representative, he will write a letter to reassure us that the next batch will really come,” Duque said.

He said there was no definite date yet for the arrival of the next batch but could be anywhere from the last week of March to about the first week of April.

“So in that light, we can already use the 525,000 AstraZeneca vaccines as first dose so we give more, we provide partial protection to a lot more healthcare workers,” Duque said

Galvez said the COVAX Facility had already notified him that 979,200 AstraZeneca doses were set to arrive on March 22.

“Kung magkakaroon man po ng delay, baka po first week ng April at ako po sinabihan na rin ni (Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe) na mas maganda na magamit po ‘yong naunang 525,600 na doses,” Galvez said.

[If there would be a delay, it could arrive in the first week of April and I was told by WHO representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe that it would be best if the first 525,600 vacciners have already been used.]

Further, Duque said the second doses for those given the Sinovac jab have already been set aside as these have to be given to them in 28 days.

The country’s COVID-19 vaccination program has so far covered 193,492 individuals as of March 13.  -NB, GMA News