No flu vaccine shortage in PH, says FDA

MANILA, Philippines — There is no shortage of influenza vaccines in the country, the Food and Drug Administration assured on Friday.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo said no vaccine suppliers had declared a shortage in the supply of flu vaccines in the country.

“We did check with the flu vaccine suppliers, wala naman silang sinasabi na dine-declare na shortage ng supply so mayroon naman [supply],” Domingo said in an online media forum.

(We did check with flu vaccine suppliers. They did not declare any shortage in supply. So there is supply.)

“As of now there are no reports of flu vaccine shortage in the country,” he added.

Domingo made the assurance after Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez sought help in securing the supply of flu vaccines in the province.

Suarez said they are having difficulties in the availability of flu vaccines.

Domingo admitted that demand for the flu vaccine and pneumonia vaccine skyrocketed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Talagang nag-increase ‘yung demand to protect everybody from the seasonal flu and pneumonia para hindi na natin ma-confuse with COVID-19,” he said.

(The demand really increased because everybody wanted to be protected from the seasonal flu and pneumonia so that it would not be confused with COVID-19.)

“Everybody wanted to get vaccinations,” he added. [ac]