P5.1-B vaccines wasted — Concepcion

The Marcos administration’s private sector advisory council lead of jobs, Go Negosyo chairperson Joey Concepcion aired his sentiments on the spoiled Covid-19 vaccines which amounted to a whopping P5.1 billion.

According to Concepcion, the number of expired Covid-19 vaccines in private sector warehouses is 4,252,830, translating to a loss of billions of pesos.

Concepcion also hit the belated decision of the Department of Health (DoH) and the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to allow second Covid booster vaccinations for Filipinos 50 years and older, and for 18- to 49-year-olds with comorbidities.

The final batch of AstraZeneca vaccines will expire this 31 July, while the last of the Moderna vaccines expired last 27 July.

“This means that the country has only the Pfizer vaccines left for first and second boosters,” Concepcion said.

Of the total expired vaccines, 3,629,150 are Moderna vaccines, one of the two mRNA vaccines that were approved for use.

Concepcion added that under the tripartite agreement that facilitated the purchase of these vaccines, the government had in its possession half of all the vaccines procured by the private sector.

“These Moderna vaccines have the same expiry date, so whatever expired in the private sector warehouses also expired in the public sector,” said Concepcion.

“The lack of urgency on the part of the HTAC and the DoH at which the vaccination advisories, policies, and implementation progressed caused the bulk disposal of these hard-earned Covid-19 vaccines,” he added.