Manila Bulletin
2-3 million bivalent vaccines needed for healthcare workers, elderly population—expert
An infectious diseases expert expressed hope that the Philippines would secure an adequate supply of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for healthcare workers and vulnerable populations.
The country recently received 390,000 doses of Pfizer bivalent vaccines through a donation from Lithuania, but this is considered insufficient.
Dr. Rontgene Solante estimates that over 2 to 3 million doses would be needed to adequately protect the healthcare sector and the elderly.
An additional 1 million doses are expected from the COVAX facility, and further increases are hoped for to prioritize essential groups.
Individuals who are immunocompromised and those with comorbidities should also be prioritized for vaccination due to limited supply.
The expert cautioned the public against complacency, noting that many current hospitalizations involve elderly individuals.
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News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Department of Health (DOH) is procuring more bivalent vaccines against COVID-19 as the initial supply is insufficient for the entire Filipino population.
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Newly appointed Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced the Department of Health's (DOH) intention to secure additional supplies of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines.
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The Philippines received over 390,000 doses of Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Lithuanian government, marking the country's first delivery of such vaccines.
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