COVID-19 jabs in areas with low vaccination daily rate rise to 3x to 4x —DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday that the daily vaccination coverage in areas reported with low inoculation rate increased to three to four times during the three-day national vaccination drive, as compared to their usual daily accomplishments.

During the Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said that in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), around 42,000 to 59,000 people got their COVID-19 jabs starting November 29, the first day of vaccination drive dubbed “Bayanihan, Bakunahan”.

She said that usually, this region only administers 10,000 to 12,000 shots daily.

The Region 12 or Soccsksargen, on the other hand, has so far administered 141,000 to 164,000 individuals compared to its previous 50,000 vaccination tally.

“The vaccination day campaign style brought the vaccinees to the bakuna (vaccination) centers,” she said.

Expiring vaccine doses

Further, Cabotaje said that the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) is already investigating some COVID-19 vaccines distributed to several local government units that were near their expiration date but were not administered during the vaccination drive “Bayanihan. Bakunahan”.

“Many of them, naka-jab sila (were administered), [while] some were kept in certain areas. So, chine-check natin bakit hindi nai-distribute because they were already in their possession earlier so we are hoping na either nai-distribute ‘yan o naibahagi sa ibang areas para maibakuna ito,” she explained.

(We are checking why some doses were not distributed because they were in the LGU’s possession earlier. We are hoping that they were distributed or transported in other areas to get administered.)

“We are still counting ilan pa ‘yung hindi nagamit na AstraZeneca doses and a few Moderna (how many were not used). We are validating and we’re verifying the reports,” she added.

On the other hand, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. asked business groups on Sunday to wait for the emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before using the private sector’s COVID-19 vaccines that are at risk of expiring.

He made the statement after several business groups requested the government to allow the private sector to use the COVID-19 vaccines they purchased for booster shots for their workers and the workers’ families.

“We no longer have a shortage, and with a large stockpile, we risk having vaccines expire and go to waste,” the groups said.

There were at least 2.3 million COVID-19 jabs administered on Tuesday, the second day of the vaccination drive, on top of the 2.708 million doses recorded on the first day, November 29.—AOL, GMA News