COVAX bivalent jab donations ‘on hold' —Vergeire

The arrival of the COVID-19 bivalent vaccines set to be donated by the COVAX facility to the Philippines has been put on hold due to certain conditions required by vaccine manufacturers, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday.

The delay is caused by the change in conditions on the immunity from liability and indemnification clauses required by manufacturers after the Philippines lifted the state of calamity due to COVID-19.

“We have tried exhausting all possible means so that this transaction will push through. We were in constant coordination with the Office of the President, with the Department of Justice, with the Office of Solicitor General just so we can identify available legal remedies so that we can go on and have these COVAX donations,” Vergeire said.

“Ito ang pinag-aaralan mabuti para naman hindi natin nagi-give up ‘yung ating mga karapatan bilang bansa in terms of these agreements. So for now, naka-hold po tayo, but we are confident that we can still push through and get these COVAX donations,” she added.

(This is being studied carefully so that we do not give up our rights as a country in terms of these agreements. So for now, we are on hold, but we are confident that we can still push through and get these COVAX donations.)

The first batch of donated bivalent vaccines was supposed to arrive by the end of March. This consists of 1,002,000 doses which the COVAX committed to the Philippines.

Bivalent vaccines are second-generation jabs that target the Omicron variant.

Vergeire explained that one option they are looking at is the stipulation in the bill establishing the Philippine Center for Disease Control (CDC) which would cover vaccine agreements.

“Tayo po ay nag-include diyan ng isang probisyon kung saan mako-cover na itong mga iniiwasan natin o itong mga provisions na kailangan sa mga agreements natin with those that are going to donate vaccines for COVID-19 here in the country,” she said.

(We have included a provision which covers these things that we want to avoid or these provisions that are needed in our agreements with those that are going to donate COVID-19 vaccines here in the country.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News