The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) has urged the Department of Health (DOH) to use up its remaining stores of COVID-19 vaccines before procuring bivalent vaccines to the Philippines.
AHW president Robert Mendoza warned that procuring COVID vaccines is “becoming a business” noting that the government continues to procure more jabs despite existing stock and high vaccine wastage.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the Philippines may have lost lost P22 billion after 44 million of its COVID-19 vaccines went to waste due mainly to short shelf life.
“It’s like becoming a business…Let’s not waste our money. Maybe the bivalent vaccines are no longer needed because the current vaccines are effective,” Mendoza said in a TeleRadyo interview. “Consume that first before buying bivalent vaccines,” he added.
Mendoza also confirmed nearly 600,000 of some 1.1 million health workers in the country have yet to receive a second COVID-19 vaccine booster.
Mendoza said many health workers are confident with the protection given by two COVID-19 vaccine doses plus a booster shot since many health workers are no longer getting sick.
“Maybe the two vaccines they received are okay,” he said.
Mendoza also backed a proposal to distribute booster shots to the general population particularly senior citizens and those with co-morbidities.
“Even at home, it should be used correctly. It would be a shame if it wasn’t available,” he said.
As of December 12, 603,905 individuals under the A1 population or workers in frontline health services have availed of the second boosters.
Latest DOH figures show the country has provided second boosters to 3,691,412 eligible Filipinos.