DOH: Donated bivalent vaccinations expected by end of March

MANILA, Philippines — Around one million doses of donated bivalent vaccines against COVID-19 are expected to arrive by the end of March, said the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday.

Bivalent vaccines are a type of vaccine that targets specific variants of COVID-19, like the more transmissible Omicron.

This came after the DOH finalized the commitment of COVAX, one of the manufacturers of the bivalent vaccines, to donate the said doses to the country.

“So pagkanag-push through talaga ‘yan, by the end of March, hopefully, we expect the initial doses to arrive,” said DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press forum.

(So after that pushes through, by the end of March, hopefully, we expect the initial doses to arrive.)

When asked if she was referring to the one million doses promised by COVAX, Vergeire answered: “Yes, that would be part of COVAX’s commitment to us.”

“So sa sumatutal, meron tayong expected na darating na bakuna ng bivalent, hopefully by the end of March nag umpisa na siya and then at the same time in parallel, we are trying to explore how we will be able to procure and have these faster procurement para naman sa mga bakuna to supplement these donations,” said Vergeire.

(So, in total, we expect bivalent vaccines to arrive, hopefully by the end of March, and then at the same time, in parallel, we are trying to explore how we will be able to procure and have faster procurement for these vaccines to supplement these donations.)

More donations expected

Meanwhile, Vergeire said in the same briefing that the DOH is also coordinating with other countries offering bivalent vaccines.

“Meron tayong isa na nag-confirm na ng kanilang commitment at ito po ay inaayos na lang natin ang delivery date nila,” said Vergeire.

(We have one that has already confirmed their commitment and we are just coordinating on their delivery date.)

“This is one country who also will be providing us with these additional doses of bivalent vaccines,” she added.

However, Vergeire said that the DOH is still in the process of signing an agreement with the said country, hence, the decision not to name it yet.

Vergeire also mentioned that there are still only two vaccine manufacturers that have applied for a Certificate of Product and Registration or authorization by the Food and Drug Administration to register their vaccines as health products.

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JMS/abc