Most of near-expiry AstraZeneca vaccines have been used, says DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Almost all of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses expected to expire in June and July have already been administered, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that all of the vaccines from the British-Swede firm set to expire soon have been distributed to vaccination centers.

“One hundred percent distributed. Nasa kani-kanila nang vaccination sites ang mga bakunang ito, 2.4 million have been given already. Nainoculate na, naibakuna na sa ating mga kababayan,” she told an online press briefing.

(One hundred percent of these have been distributed in vaccination sites. Over 2.4 million has been given already. These have been inoculated already to our citizens.)

“We are looking at around 100,000 plus na lang na kailangan nating maibakuna para sa ating mga kababayan (that should be administered). We have reached our target already,” she added.

The country is administering the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccines 12 weeks after the first shot.

Earlier in May, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said 1.5 million doses from the COVAX’s AstraZeneca allocation will be used as first doses, while the rest will be administered as second doses to those already vaccinated in March and April.

The country has so far received a total of 9.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Of this number, 6.8 million have been administered, including the 5 million doses that were provided as first dose.

EDV