DOH: No report on vaccine doses being replaced with water

(FILE) Mayor Francis Zamora leads the launch of Moderna vaccines for residents under the A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 categories in San Juan City’s vaccination program at the FilOil Flying V Centre, on June 30. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said Friday it has not received a report about COVID-19 vaccine doses allegedly being substituted with water in syringes as mentioned by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

“Doon sa remark ni Senator Sotto, wala naman tayong nakukuha pang reports regarding this,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing.

(Regarding the remark of Senator Sotto, we have not received reports regarding this.)

Sotto earlier said there were complaints similar to the failed vaccination in Makati City where a healthcare worker failed to inject the contents of a syringe on a woman who was due to receive the shot.

He said there have been written complaints on such incidents from other areas including in Quezon City, where his son, Gian Sotto, serves as vice mayor.

According to the senator, one complaint said some vaccinators simply put water into syringes to inject the supposed vaccines. He said he already asked his son to investigate these complaints.

Vergeire said authorities are strictly monitoring vaccination sites.

“We are strictly monitoring vaccination sites. We have asked the vaccination sites to have overseers or supervisors that will go around the stations in the vaccination site para masiguro na ang mga ganitong klaseng pangyayari ay hindi na mauulit (to ensure that these incidents will not happen again),” she said, referring to the Makati incident and other failed vaccinations captured on videos.

/MUF