UNICEF to check Muntinlupa COVID-19 vaccines that encountered storage problem----DOH

Vaccine experts from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are set to check if the efficacy of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines were affected after the Muntinlupa City local government encountered a problem with their cold storage facility recently, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

“We would want to verify really and determine kung magagamit pa o hindi ang mga bakunang ito (if these vaccines are still fit for use). So, we have submitted samples of these vaccines to UNICEF,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday, July 20.

“So intayin po natin ang report ng UNICEF (So let's wait for the report of UNICEF). DOH is closely coordinating with them so that we may be able to know kung pwede pang gamitin o hindi na ang bakuna (if the vaccines can still be used or not),” she added.

Vergeire said that UNICEF has such capability to conduct an assessment on vaccines.

“Sila yung may mga eksperto para ma i-check kung talagang magagamit pa ang bakuna o hindi (They have experts to check if the vaccines can still be used or not),” she said.

Last July 15, the city government of Muntinlupa suspended its vaccination activity at the Festival Mall in Alabang due to problems with its cold storage facility.

“Base sa inisyal na pag-aaral, talagang nagkaroon ng parang failure doon sa pag store (Based on the initial investigation, there really is a failure on how the vaccines were stored),” said Vergeire.

Related story: Muntinlupa suspends Pfizer vaccination at Festival Mall site due to storage problem