DOH says 12,686 COVID-19 vaccine doses wasted

Syringe/Vaccine (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Over 12,500 of the total 87 million COVID-19 vaccine doses so far received by the country have been wasted, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) revealed Wednesday.

“This is our vaccine wastage from the beginning, a total of 12,686 doses wasted. These are mostly from temperature excursions,” according to Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, who also chairs the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center.

“Meron din tayong incidents na nasunog like the one in Cotabato, the one in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. We have a few cases na nahulog, tapos ‘yung walang label. If there is no label, they do not administer it. In some of the few cases, nagkaroon tayo ng particles,” she also said during a Senate hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the DOH.

(There were fire incidents in Cotabato and in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte where some vaccine doses were burned. We have a few cases when the vaccines were dropped, while others don’t have a label. If the vaccines do not have a label, vaccinators don’t administer them. In some of the few cases, particles have developed in the vaccines.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros said the wasted vaccines could cost P6.9 million given the P544 estimated price of vaccines for next year.

“Yes, based on the estimate, the average cost of the vaccine,” Cabotaje confirmed.

The DOH earlier said that the World Health Organization’s acceptable vaccine wastage rate is at five percent. The 12,686 wasted vaccine doses represent 0.015 percent of the 87 million delivered doses.

KGA