The Department of Health (DOH) reminded the different local government units (LGUs) that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines and food items should be stored separately.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that putting COVID-19 vaccines and food items in the same storage equipment is "not right."
"That is not in any way part of the protocols of the Department of Health and even the national government," she said.
"The vaccines should have a separate storage. It should not be mixed with the food kung meron man tayo (if we have)," she added.
Vergeire said that some vaccine brands require at least two to eight degrees Celsius storage temperature, which is the temperature of a regular refrigerator.
"Baka yung ibang local governments dahil meron tayong two to eight degrees lang na mga bakuna, baka naisasama sa mga pagkain sa refrigerator at hindi po ito tama (There might be chances that some local governments mix food items in the refrigerator since we have vaccines that have a temperature of two to eight degrees)," she said.
"Dapat po separate po ang ating storage facility or equipment para sa mga bakuna (Our storage facility or equipment for vaccines must be separate)," she added.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/18/get-to-know-the-different-covid-19-vaccines/