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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Senator bares 31.1 million vaccine doses wasted

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About P15.6 billion worth of vaccines against COVID-19 or 31.1 million doses with an estimated value of P500 each have gone to waste, Senator Pia Cayetano said Sunday.

Cayetano said they do not know the exact cost of the wasted vaccines because the price of these is covered by non-disclosure agreements.

Still, based on the data and information provided by Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergerie, Cayetano said the wasted vaccines were 12 percent of the 250.58 million doses given to the Philippines.

But the DOH said this was within the allowable 30 percent wastage set by the World Health Organization.

Moreover, the Covax facility has committed to replacing 3.8 million expired doses.

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The reasons for the wastage include the short shelf life of vaccines from the Covax facility, natural disasters, or destruction due to temperature, discoloration, and particulate matter.

In other countries, vaccine hesitancy is another cause of wastage.

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