Private sector will no longer buy bivalent COVID-19 vaccines due to wastage –Concepcion

The private sector will no longer participate in the procurement of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines due to the wastage in the previous supply, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said Friday.

At a televised public briefing, Concepcion, a member of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Private Sector Advisory Council, said they would let the government procure the vaccines.

“Hindi na rin kami sasali dito sa pagbibili ng bakuna kasi medyo komplikado itong kalagayan namin kasi tumulong kami nung una maraming na-expire. Mas maganda yung government na lang,” he said.

(We will no longer join in purchasing vaccines because our situation is complicated. When we helped during the first procurement, a lot of it expired. It would be better if it's just the government.)

Earlier, Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) chief Dr. Nina Gloriani said the private sector was also looking to procure at least 10 million doses

“Yung sa Go Negosyo yung private group ni sir Joey Concepcion they are looking at 10 million doses pero nagsu-survey sila kung sino talaga yung magpapabakuna kasi ayaw natin maulit yung wastage na nangyari before,” she said.

(Go Negosyo, Mr. Joey Concepcion's private group, is looking to procure at least 10 million doses. But they are still surveying who will get the vaccine because we don't want to waste vaccines again.)

Concepcion said the private sector is now only suggesting that the government allow private hospitals and clinics to buy their supply so people who are not under the priority groups can access bivalent vaccines.

During the recent budget deliberations of the Department of Health, Senator Pia Cayetano said up to 31.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines worth P15.6 billion would go to waste because they were still not administered. — DVM, GMA Integrated News