President Duterte is happy to learn that the COVAX Facility will be replacing the country's expired Covid-19 vaccines with new ones at no extra cost.
Duterte expressed his sentiments after being informed that COVAX, a global conduit for Covid-19 vaccine donations, will replace expired vaccines with new ones with a longer shelf life.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that about 3.6 million doses of 1.46 percent of the country's inventory of Covid-19 vaccines have expired.
"Papalitan po 'yan. Ire-replace po ng COVAX Facility. Nag-meeting na po kami kahapon at mayroon na po silang sulat sa atin (The COVAX Facility will replace that. We already met yesterday and they had a letter for us)," he told President Duterte.
The Health Secretary likewise affirmed that COVAX would be replacing the expired vaccines for free.
"I'm happy to learn that," Duterte said.
According to Duque, he and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. asked COVAX if it could replace the vaccines procured by the government and not just the donated ones. Even though they are still waiting for COVAX's reply, President Duterte said it was nice of COVAX to consider it.
"That's nice of them to do that," the President said.
"It's a distinct humanitarian sentiment," he added.
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said early this month that 27 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the country would expire in July this year.