DOH coordinating with manufacturers on extended shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said that it is coordinating with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers on the possible shelf life extension while the expired and expiring doses in “quarantine.”

“Sa ngayon po, ito pong mga bakuna na nag-expire at to-expire ay naka-quarantine po ‘yan because we are coordinating with the vaccine manufacturers as to their additional evaluation kung pwedeng ma-extend ang shelf life ng mga ito,” Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire explained during the Laging Handa briefing.

(Currently, the expired and near-expiry vaccines are in quarantine because we are coordinating with the vaccine manufacturers as to their additional evaluation if their shelf life could be extended.)

Vergeire said that the DOH made the same move last June with the Pfizer brand vaccines last June when health authorities revised their emergency use authority to extend the vaccines’ shelf life.

 “So ito pong mga to-expire vaccines at nag-expire na bakuna, ganyan din po ang ginagawa natin ngayon, patuloy tayo nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga manufacturers so that they can tell us, base sa kanilang reevaluation, if we can extend the shelf life of these vaccines,” said Vergeire.

(So, we are doing the same with these to-expire and expired vaccines. We are coordinating with manufacturers so they can tell us, based on their reevaluation, if we can extend the shelf life.)

Vergeire noted that there are expired and to-expire vaccines because the Philippines received COVID-19 vaccine donations that have a short shelf life.

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