Pre-register vaccinees, Concepcion urges

The businessman in October wrote health department officer in charge Dr. Rosario Vergeire to offer a list of employees from the private sector who are willing to be vaccinated

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said over the weekend that pre-registering people will be the way to go in future vaccination efforts to avoid the wastage of valuable jabs.

Concepcion lamented reports that the Philippines wasted a total of 31.3 million Covid-19 vaccine doses worth about P15.6 billion as of November this year.

The wasted vaccines were higher than the August tally of 20.6 million doses worth around P10.33 billion.

“It was bound to happen,” said Concepcion. “We need to learn from this experience and start pre-registering those who are willing to be vaccinated.”

The businessman in October wrote health department officer in charge Dr. Rosario Vergeire to offer a list of employees from the private sector who are willing to be vaccinated.

He said the strategy is meant to ensure that the vaccines to be procured by the government will be used. “Through this pre-registration, we will minimize wastage,” he said.

Concepcion also urged local governments to also adopt the pre-registering scheme for their residents. Along with pre-registration, he said that there is a need to set clear guidelines.

Clear guidelines

“From our experience with the past rollouts, there is a need to lay down clear guidelines for vaccinations so we avoid delay and confusion,” he said.

The Health Technology Assessment Council, he explained, should just adopt the same guidelines as those of the countries where the vaccines originated in order to avoid a repeat of the delays in decision-making that led to expired vaccines.

Further, Concepcion proposed that the government allow private hospitals and other healthcare facilities to procure the vaccines, which they can then pass on at cost to those who are eligible.

Government can then direct its resources to help those who are eligible but cannot afford the vaccines.

Vaccines against Covid-19 have yet to become commercially available unless drug manufacturers secure a Certificate of Product Registration for their vaccines.

“I am glad that the DoH has been very receptive to suggestions from the private sector,” Concepcion said.

“We are hoping that, moving forward, the private sector and government will continue to work together to finally bring this pandemic to a close,” he added.