The Department of Health (DOH) said that the expired Covid-19 vaccines, including those purchased by the private sector and local government units (LGUs), will be replaced by the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX Facility.
“We’ve already gotten the commitment of Covax that they will be replacing all of these expired doses, even from the private and the local governments,'' said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
“Lahat po, even those that have expired from the private sector and the local government units na vaccines, papalitan po ng Covax Facility (All vaccines, even those that have expired from the private sector and the local government units, will be replaced by the Covax Facility),” she added.
READ: DOH asks COVAX for possible replacement of expired Covid-19 vaccines bought by private sector
The delivery of these vaccines, however, will be by schedule, said Vergeire.
“Meron po tayong (We have) scheduled dates of replacement...we are scheduling our replacements doon po sa time na kakailanganin natin itong mga replaced doses na dahil sa ngayon, sufficient ang bakuna natin (at a time when we will need these replaced doses because for now, our vaccine supply is sufficient),” she said.
“The schedules, we are negotiating na dadating itong mga replacement doses doon sa time na paubos na po ang current supplies natin sa mga warehouses (will be delivered during the time when our supplies in the warehouses are running low),” she added.
Recently, Last July 27, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said more than four million vaccine doses worth P5.1 billion, which were procured by the private sector, have already expired.