DOH probes wastage of 150k COVID vaccines during Zambo del Sur fire

(FILE) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gives an update to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on August 30, 2021. JOEY DALUMPINES/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the department is already investigating the wastage of nearly 150,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, which were destroyed in a fire that hit a government building in Zamboanga del Sur.

“It’s being investigated and we want to pinpoint accountability. Ano bang nangyari rito [What happened]?” Duque said during Wednesday’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

“If it’s an accident, they can explain that but what might be difficult to explain is why 150,000 thereabouts doses of vaccines were not distributed on time,” he added.

Duque pointed out that the doses should have already been deployed to different cities and municipalities.

“And they should have already been jabbed,” he added.

According to a joint statement by DOH, the National Task Force Against COVID-19, the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the fire destroyed 148,678 doses—88,938 of Pfizer-BioNTech, 36,164 of Sinovac, 14,400 of Moderna and 9,176 of AstraZeneca vaccines.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier assured the public that the damaged COVID-19 vaccines would be immediately replaced.

JPV