DOH: Follow one vaccine brand per jab site rule to avoid mixing shots
A health worker prepares a dose of Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine during a vaccination for residents in Mandaluyong City, suburban Manila on July 15, 2021. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday reminded those in charge of vaccination rollouts in various localities nationwide to make sure that only one brand of COVID-19 vaccine should be made available per jab site in order to prevent vaccine mix-ups.
“Dapat sa isang vaccination site, isang type of vaccine lang ang ginagamit natin. Hindi pwede tayo na may dalawang types tayo na binibigay because that will lead us to these kinds of errors,” DOH spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.
(Per vaccination site, there should only be one type of vaccine there. We cannot have two types of vaccines in a vaccination site because that will lead us to these kinds of errors.)
This, in light of reported incidents in the Davao Region where a different brand of COVID-19 vaccine was used for a second dose.
DOH investigates different brand vaccination for 2nd dose in Davao
“So that’s one thing that should serve as a lesson for everybody, let’s follow the guidelines, let’s just retain na isang type lang ng bakuna sa isang vaccination site so that we can prevent further errors,” Vergeire went on.
(So that’s one thing that should serve as a lesson for everybody, let’s follow the guidelines, let’s just retain only one type of vaccine in a vaccination site so that we can prevent further errors.)
According to Vergeire, the DOH has already coordinated with its regional office about the incident for the conduct of a proper investigation into reported incidents.
The DOH has yet to receive a complete report, she noted.
Vergeire, in a previous briefing, said initial information showed that the healthcare worker who administered the shot merely made a mistake.
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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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