The Covax Facility is set to replace at least 3.6 million donated Covid-19 vaccine doses that already expired, said Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duque noted that the replacement of vaccines will be free of charge.
"So, yes sir, papalitan po yan. Ire-replace ng COVAX Facility (that will be replaced. The COVAX Facility will replace it)," the Health chief told President Duterte during the "Talk to the People" program.
"Nag meeting na po kami kahapon at meron na po silang sulat sa atin. Walang cost po. Talagang they will replace (We had a meeting yesterday and they already sent a letter to us. There will be no additional cost. They will definitely replace it)," he added.
To note, the COVAX Facility is a global vaccine-sharing platform that "aims to accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccines, and guarantee fair and equitable access to these vaccines even with the scarce global supply."
Duque said that the expired vaccines were only equivalent to 1.46 percent of the country's total vaccine inventory.
"Yung COVAX, meron po silang stockpile ng mga bakuna with longer shelf life...Yung mga nag-expire na sa atin, umabot na ng mga about 3.6 million doses, which is just about 1.46 percent of our total inventory ng bakuna (The COVAX have a stockpile of vaccines with longer shelf life. The vaccines that have expired—which were about 3.6 million doses or just about 1.46 percent of our total inventory of vaccines)," he said.
Duque said that he also asked the Covax Facility if they can also replace the procured vaccines and not just the donated ones.
“Ang pakiusap namin—ni Sec. Charlie Galvez—na pati yung prinocure natin, kung nag expire, palitan na rin nila, hindi lang yung donated (Our request, Sec. Galvez and I, is for them to also replace procured vaccines, if they also expired and not just the donated vaccines)...We are waiting for their answer,” he said.
President Duterte, for his part, welcomed this move of the COVAX Facility.
"That's nice of them to do that. It's a distinct humanitarian sentiment," he said.