MANILA, Philippines — Over one million doses of bivalent vaccines that were supposed to be donated to the Philippines were instead given to another country, said the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, as the agreement was not finalized.
To recall, the Philippines was supposed to receive over one million doses of bivalent vaccines but the acquisition hit a “roadblock” after the COVID-19 state of calamity lapsed, consequently reverting to the usual process of procurement – which takes longer because the DOH is no longer eligible to make emergency procurement.
READ: Bivalent vax purchase hit ‘roadblock’ as COVID-19 state of calamity in PH not extended
“Ito pong donasyon ng bivalent vaccines, unang una sa COVAX hindi pa nagkakaroon ng final agreements dahil ‘yung unang batch na dapat idedeliver sa’tin ay medyo naantala kaya naibigay muna sa ibang bansa,” said DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press forum.
(This donation of bivalent vaccines from COVAX did not reach final agreements as the first batch that was supposed to be delivered to us was delayed, so it was given to another country first.)
“But they have committed na once we are already ready with our basis legally, ay maaari pa naman tayong mabigyan pa rin,” she added.
(But they have committed that once we are already ready with our basis legally, they will still donate vaccines to us.)
Vergeire previously explained that the government currently has no legal basis for entering agreements with vaccine manufacturer COVAX after the end of the COVID-19 state of calamity resulted in the nullification of Republic Act 11525.
RA 11525, or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, used to contain the provision addressing indemnification and immunity of liability. With the lapse of the COVID-19 state of calamity, this provision which served as the legal basis for agreements with various sources of COVID-19 vaccines “ceased to exist.”
READ: No timeline on arrival of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines in PH — DOH
390,000 vaccine doses by end of May
Vergeire, however, said that another country has committed to donating a total of 390,000 doses of bivalent vaccines.
“Tayo po ay nakapagumpisa na at nakuha na natin ang CPR (certificate of product registration) at iba pang kailangan sa FDA (Food and Drug Administration), at atin na lang pong ginagawa ay magfinalize ng mga dokumento,” said Vergeire.
(We have already started, and we have obtained the CPR and other necessary things from the FDA, and all we are doing is finalizing the documents.)
“Hopefully, by the end of May, we will be able to receive these 390,000 doses,” she added.
Bivalent vaccines are a type of vaccine that targets specific variants of COVID-19, like the more transmissible Omicron.
READ: DOH: ‘Slight delays’ hit acquisition of bivalent vax vs COVID-19 this March