HTAC says it has not delayed any COVID-19 vaccine rollout

The Health Technology Assessment Council has denied allegations that delays in its recommendations for anti-COVID-19 booster shots led to the wastage of vaccines worth P5.1 billion.

In a statement, the HTAC said it had not delayed any vaccine rollout and pointed to the low vaccination rate for "first boosters."

"The HTAC has not delayed any rollout to date. In fact, it released its recommendation on first booster doses on 03 November 2021, followed by second boosters on 28 April 2022," the HTAC said.

"Unfortunately, there has been low uptake of first boosters," it added.

The HTAC said that as of 20 June 2022, the uptake of first booster doses is the following for the different priority groups: 53.23% for A1, 32.93% for EA1, 25.63% for A2, 26.09% for A3, 3.99% for EA3, 18.52% for A4, 10.52% for A5, and 21.49% for the rest of the adult population. 

Business leader and former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion has said the inability of the private sector to administer the doses on time was due to the delay in the HTAC's approval of the second booster vaccination for Filipinos aged 50 years and older, and for adults with comorbidities.

The HTAC said that its recommendations were based on scientific evidence.

"If evidence is found to be lacking, unsatisfactory, or non-existent, then no favorable recommendation can be issued," the HTAC said.

"The HTAC is also a Council and, as such, decisions are made not by a single person, but as a collective body," it added.

"Expiration of vaccines is not enough reason to push for vaccines. For any other health technology, our health professionals prescribe the best choice for the people, not because they are 'sayang'," the HTAC said.

Business leader and former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Friday called for reforms after the expiration of around 3.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses procured by the private sector.

On Wednesday, Concepcion said 3.6 million doses of Moderna vaccines have expired on July 27 while 623,000 AstraZeneca doses are set to expire on Sunday, July 31.

This accounts for a total of 4.2 million vaccines, which he said were worth around P5.1 billion.

“We need to learn from this experience,” said Concepcion during the virtual Go Negosyo town hall meeting.

“There are clearly several gaps that led to the expiry of the vaccines,” he added.

Concepcion is also part of Marcos administration’s Business Advisory Council.

Concepcion lamented that the vaccines expired days after the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the administration of the second booster dose for all individuals aged 50 and above, and 18 to 49 years old with comorbidities.

Before that the second booster dose has been made available to the frontline healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals.

“Some of those gaps we tried to point out, such as the need to listen to the science coming from abroad, and to act swiftly considering that our economy is on the line,” Concepcion said.

“The DOH, who has visibility on the inventory, could have stepped in,” he said.

“It would just be a simple computation as the expiry dates are very clear. They knew the levels we all had, from both the private sector, government procurements and donations from abroad,” Concepcion said. -with a report from Ted Cordero/NB, GMA News