AN official of the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday disclosed that 100 vials of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines in Region 6 have been wasted due to power interruptions after Supertyphoon “Odette” hit the country.
“The National Vaccine Operations Cluster [NVOC] shall replenish stocks of Region 6,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said after the reported wastage of Pfizer vaccines in Bingawan town in Iloilo province.
Vergeire added that there is also an ongoing assessment of vaccine wastage in Region 7, 8, and Caraga.
Meanwhile, DOH and the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 are now assessing the condition of vaccines and the storage facilities in areas with reported power outages.
To date, 13 regions in Luzon and Mindanao reported zero vaccine wastage and no cold storage facilities damaged due to Odette.
Earlier, the NVOC issued Advisories 118 and 119 temporarily suspending the Bayanihan Bakunahan-Phase 2 in provinces along the typhoon’s track to prioritize safety of the public, the implementers and vaccines, and called for the implementation of contingency plans of local vaccine operations centers.
“Since early last week, we have issued advisories to help our vaccination sites in the regions prepare for the typhoon. The DOH and the NVOC will also ensure immediate resumption of vaccination in these areas as part of the response or recovery activities in the typhoon-hit areas and we will ensure that only those vaccines that have not been compromised will be administered. We will also continuously support the contingency plans of our local government units [LGU] to further mitigate wastage,” said Health Undersecretary and NVOC chairperson Myrna Cabotaje.
The NVOC also provided guidance to vaccination sites on proper storage management for the Covid-19 vaccines.
As a result, several sites have prepared generator sets before the typhoon made landfall, while others mobilized vaccine storage to hospitals and facilities with continuous power or generator sets.
The NVOC further reported that of the 639 Local Government Units from Regions 4B, 5, 6,7,8,9,10,11,12, Caraga, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that had to adjust their vaccination activities due to the typhoon, all regions will resume vaccination activities except select LGUs like Palawan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Southern Leyte, and Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.
Only Region 7 will postpone region-wide National Vaccination Day II activities from December 20 to 22 to make way for disaster response.
There were no other reports of damage to cold chain storage facilities and of vaccine wastage, with contingency plans executed to transfer vaccines in areas with continuous power supply and generator sets.
The NVOC continues its regular assessment to mitigate vaccine wastage and to ensure that only vaccines maintained at the appropriate storage temperatures will continue to be used in the vaccination campaign.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has also reached out to the Department of Energy, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Office of Civil Defense to expedite power restoration and availability of fuel for generators in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the NTF also assured the public that vaccine supply will continue to be provided to the provinces in the coming months.
“The Philippines is constantly and continuously in contact with the COVAX facility and the vaccine manufacturers to ensure we get the supply that we need to provide adequate protection for all Filipinos,” said Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
He said the leadership of the AFP has also directed all its ground commands to ensure the safety of the vaccines, especially in those areas affected by the typhoon.
“Rest assured that as we coordinate with our local government partners to gather more information and fully assess the situation on ground, we will keep securing adequate supply of the life-saving Covid-19 vaccines for everyone in the country,” he added.
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