Philippines in talks to donate COVID-19 vaccine doses to Myanmar, Papua New Guinea

The Philippine government is coordinating with Myanmar and Papua New Guinea to finalize arrangements for the donation of COVID-19 vaccines to the two countries, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire  said on Tuesday.

During a media forum, Vergeire said the Philippines was one with the World Health Organization (WHO) in terms of equity in distributing vaccines.

This donation is also in light of the millions of doses of vaccines still in the government's stockpile even as fewer Filipinos are having themselves inoculated against the coronavirus. 

“Definitely, magpu-push through po ang pagdo-donate. Nagumpisa na ang negotiations or arrangements o pakikipagusap sa mga bansang ito,” she said.

(Definitely, the donation will push through. Negotiations or arrangements with these countries have already begun.)

She added that more information would be provided as to how many doses and which vaccine brands would be donated once the DOH settled its inventory.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III previously said the government was looking to COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries with low vaccination coverage as the Philippine’s current supply was “stable.”

Vergeire said not all of the vaccine doses in the country’s stockpile would be donated as they were still needed to ramp up inoculation. 

“Magdo-donate lang tayo ng kailangan nila at sa tingin naman natin ay maaari nating itulong,” she said.

(We will just donate the amount that they need and the amount that we think we can help them.)

"It's really not proper that we call it ‘excess’ kung sakali. Meron tayong ititira because we still need it. Meron tayong additional doses na andiyan na maari nating ibigay sa kanila as pagtulong sa mga bansang ito,” she added.

(It's really not proper that we call it ‘excess’ just in case. We need to retain some because we still need it. The additional doses are those we can give to help these countries.)

Expiring vaccines

In a joint statement, the DOH and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) said that most of the doses that would expire by July 2022 were either donated by other countries or procured by local governments and the private sector.

The national government, local government units, and the private sector then all placed orders for vaccines to ensure from the very start that there will be enough vaccines available on hand.

“No one could guarantee for certain that manufacturers could deliver at the scale and schedule our people required; hence, decisions were made to secure as many doses as could be obtained from wherever they could be sourced,” they said.

The agencies issued the remark after Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose “Joey” Concepcion III reported that about 27 million doses acquired by the government would expiring in July.

The DOH and NTF said they were working with manufacturers to extend the shelf life of vaccines based on updated scientific data such as updated stability studies.

“We will also continue and even intensify or innovate in the measures meant to increase coverage of both the primary series and booster doses, and where needed, recommend that the Philippines donate excess yet viable doses as an international act of goodwill,” they added.  —NB, GMA News