To avert any harmful health risks, Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, local government units, and the private sector to ensure the proper disposal of medical wastes as the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines began Monday.
“I’m worried about the LGUs. Do they have a local vaccination plan and a comprehensive medical waste disposal plan?” she said.
“Without a local vaccination plan, these concerns could get out of hand, and we should be anticipatory rather than reactive regarding what threatens to be an environmental and public health hazard,” Binay added.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 656, Binay said a concrete plan on the proper handling and management of COVID-19 vaccination medical wastes must be put in place.
Proper handling, storage, collection, and disposal of the wastes shall be followed to ensure the protection of the environment and the general public, she added.
While the Department of Health has issued interim guidelines on vaccine waste disposal, Binay said a comprehensive implementable plan is still necessary.
“We are dealing with infectious medical wastes here, magnified in millions of used vials. These medical wastes cannot just be thrown away, taken by garbage trucks and dumped anywhere since this would elevate public health risks,” Binay said.