21,000 vaccine doses wasted in Odette-hit areas

Around 21,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been reported as wasted in areas devastated by Typhoon Odette.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) Chair Myrna Cabotaje confirmed the wastage, citing reports from Iloilo, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and the Caraga Region.

The NVOC is still completing reports as some areas have yet to submit theirs due to communication and power disruptions.

Despite the wastage, vaccination programs have resumed in various affected regions.

Specifically, 23 local government units in Mimaropa, Southern Leyte, and Iloilo have restarted their vaccination drives.

Western Visayas has resumed its inoculation campaign at 70 to 75 percent capacity, while Caraga, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands are not yet at 100% operational capacity for vaccination activities.