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DOH sees 'slight delay' in the arrival of donated bivalent Covid-19 vaccines

Philippines | National

DOH sees 'slight delay' in the arrival of donated bivalent Covid-19 vaccines

By Charie Mae F. Abarca

The donated bivalent Covid-19 vaccines, which are expected to be delivered this week, might face a slight delay in its arrival, said the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, May 23. DOH, in a statement on Tuesday, attributed this “slight delay” to “permits that are still needed to be coordinated.”

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines (AFP / Manila Bulletin)

“Rest assured that [we are] exhausting all efforts to receive the vaccines by the end of the month. Further, the Department shall provide updates on the arrival of the vaccines,” it added. DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire in a media forum on Tuesday, May 16, said around 391,000 doses of bivalent Covid-19 jabs are expected to arrive, adding that they have “finished everything that needs to be submitted” to acquire the vaccines. Earlier, Vergeire also disproved circulating claims that the country’s health department have intentionally delayed the procurement of the said jabs, highlighting that they have been coordinating with manufacturers since August last year. Bivalent Covid-19 vaccines, as explained by health experts, provide better protection against particular types of the virus and its transmissible and immune-evasive variants.

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Department of Health (DOH) bivalent vaccines

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