The wastage of the Covid-19 can be blamed on lowered public interest and the vaccine’s short shelf life.
Department of Health officer-in-charge (DOH-OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire made this statement after it was reported that about 44 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have gone to waste due to expiration and operational wastage.
“Nandiyan na ang pagbaba ng interes ng ating mga kababayan sa pagbabakuna. Kung mapapansin niyo, in spite of the, all efforts, best efforts ng local governments, mobilized our partners from the private sector, partners from our medical societies, at lahat lahat na—from government agencies. Pero talagang mababa na ngayon ang uptake ng pagbabakuna,” said Vergeire said during a media forum.
She explained that vaccination rates peaked in December 2021, but started to decline by January 2022.
Moreover, Covid-19 vaccines also had shorter shelf-lives versus other vaccines of other illnesses.
“They are just in their [Emergency Use Authorization], so the manufacturers, they produce the vaccines at a much shorter shelf life,” stated Vergeire.
— Ronald Espartinez