Following reports that the Philippines has wasted 31.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said it was becoming more evident that pre-registering vaccinees will be the best method to avoid wastage in future vaccination efforts.
Concepcion said this after a report last week stated that the Philippines wasted about P15.6 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines as of November this month, a number beyond the 10-percent threshold of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a statement, Concepcion said the unfortunate development was bound to happen.
"It was bound to happen. We need to learn from this experience and start pre-registering those who are willing to be vaccinated," he said.
In October, Concepcion wrote to the Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, offering to provide the DOH with a list of employees from the private sector who are willing to be vaccinated. 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 suggested that local government units (LGUs) could also adopt the pre-registering scheme to see who among their residents are willing to be vaccinated.
Along with pre-registration, he said there is a need to set 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, Concepcion explained, should just adopt the same guidelines as that of the country where the vaccines originated to avoid a repeat of the delays in decision-making that prevented the private sector from using millions of its procured vaccines, which eventually expired before they can be used.
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 eligible. He said the government could 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 said.