PH to use 2 million AZ vaccines before expiry

The Philippine government plans to administer over 2 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, with 1.5 million expiring on June 30 and 500,000 on July 31, as first doses due to their impending expiry.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje clarified that 500,000 doses will be used to complete the second doses for those inoculated in March, while the remaining 1.5 million will be administered as first doses.

This strategy ensures that all doses expiring on July 31 will be administered in June, with second doses to be given in August and September.

The government has developed a mechanism to properly utilize these vaccines, prioritizing them for first-time inoculations.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. vowed to seek other vaccines if the COVAX Facility is unable to deliver the next batch of doses on time.

Meanwhile, 193,050 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed to areas with ultra-low freezers, including Metro Manila, Cebu City, Davao City, and Quirino province.