COVAX to replace 3.6M expired COVID-19 vax doses for free –Duque

Some 3.6 million expired COVID-19 vaccine doses will be replaced by the COVAX facility with no additional cost, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

During President Rodrigo Duterte's taped Talk to the People aired on Wednesday, Duque said they already met with COVAX representatives and asked them to replace not just the donated vaccines that are about to expire but also the procured ones.

"'Yung COVAX, meron po silang stockpile ng mga bakuna with longer shelf life. So ang gagawin, 'yung mga nag-expire na sa atin, umabot na ng mga about 3.6 million doses, which is just about 1.46% of our total inventory ng bakuna. So, yes sir, papalitan po 'yan. Ire-replace ng COVAX facility," Duque told Duterte.

(The COVAX has a stockpile of vaccines with longer shelf life. They will replace our vaccines that have expired–which is about 3.6 million doses or 1.46% of our total vaccine inventory.)

This 1.46% vaccine wastage is lower than the 10% indicative wastage rate used by the World Health Organization (WHO).

COVAX is a global vaccine-sharing program that was launched in 2020 to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines will reach poorer countries.

Duterte, for his part, welcomed the replacement of the expiring COVID-19 vaccines, which will be done by COVAX for free.

"That's nice of them to do that," he said. "That's a distinct humanitarian sentiment."

As of Monday, the Department of Health said more than 67.4 million individuals or 74.98% of the government's target population are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, some 12.9 million Filipinos have received their first booster shot.

The Philippines on Tuesday logged another record-low new COVID-19 infections at 123, bringing the nationwide tally to 3,684,835.

The active cases also further decreased to 11,580, the lowest since December 30, 2021.

A total of 3,613,060 people have been counted as recoveries, while the death toll climbed to 60,195.  —KBK, GMA News