The country's supply of Covid-19 vaccines is still sufficient, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday, Jan. 6.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that more than 17 million Covid-19 vaccines are currently in stock.
"We still have enough supply of vaccines in our warehouse, we have a total of 17,488,050," said Vergeire in a press briefing on Friday, Jan. 6.
Of the over 17 million, Vergeire said that six million vaccines are currently under "quarantined."
"Meaning we are still awaiting for the evidence and application of our manufacturers for us to extend their shelf life," she noted.
Other vaccines are set to expire in the first quarter of this year, said Vergeire.
"Yung iba naman meron tayo na remaining na magla-last pa siya hanggang kalahating taon ang expiry date. Meron din naman within the first quarter ay maari na mag-expire. At meron din na portion niyan ay sa second quarter pa ang expiry (we have some that will last up to half a year until the expiration date. There are also some that will expire within the first quarter. And there is also a portion of that that will expire in the second quarter)," she added.
"All in all, we just like to ensure our Filipino people that we still have sufficient stock of vaccines to provide specifically, our eligible population," she added.
Vergeire assured that Covid-19 vaccination will still continue despite the lapse of the Covid-19 state of calamity last Dec. 31, 2022.
"Nakasaad doon sa ating mga batas na kapag po nag-lapse ang state of calamity, ang validity po ng EUA (It is stated in our laws that when the state of calamity lapses, the validity of the EUA) can still be used," she said.
"It’s still valid for a year after the lapse of the state of calamity. That is what we are using now as basis for us to have continuity in this Covid-19 vaccination program," she added.
Moreover, since the state of calamity already lapsed, Vergeire said "the DOH now goes through the usual mode of procurement for vaccines."
Based on the DOH Covid-19 tracker, a total of 73,780,172 individuals in the country were already fully vaccinated. The DOH has also administered a total of 21,172,728 booster doses as of Jan. 3.