DOH assures AstraZeneca vaccine doses will be administered before expiry

The Department of Health (DOH) assures that the 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, which expire in May, will be administered before their expiration date.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that the interval for the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can range from four to twelve weeks, allowing for flexibility in its rollout.

Vergeire also noted that all COVID-19 vaccines have an expiration period of no longer than six months due to the evolving nature of the virus and potential vaccine modifications by manufacturers.

As of March 10, a total of 114,615 individuals have been vaccinated, with 12,788 receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine and 101,827 receiving the Sinovac vaccine.

The recently arrived AstraZeneca doses have been distributed to Metro Manila, Cordillera, Ilocos region, and Calabarzon.

The Philippines will continue with the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, as both the DOH and the Food and Drug Administration find no current indication linking the vaccine to reported blood clot cases in Europe.

A total of 85 minor side effects and one serious adverse event have been documented following the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine.