Duterte raises ‘quandary’ if PH can get COVID-19 vaccine supply for second dose on time

March 16 ------ More than 100,000 people have received the coronavirus vaccines but will there be enough for their second dose? President Duterte is worried if there will be sufficient supply for the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine for recipients in the country. Addressing the nation Monday, the President recognized that some people could receive the first shot but he expressed concern if they could get their second dose on time. He noted that the country has so far received limited vaccines donated by China and those sourced from the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility.

“You know, how about those needing already the second dose? There’s a problem there. Sabihin mo gamitin na muna para sa first dose ng hindi pa nabakunahan, that’s good,” Duterte said during a meeting with top government officials on pandemic response Monday, March 15. “But the problem is sabihin mo the second dose would come from the future deliveries, okay ‘yan. Ang problema, ang next problem is baka hindi dumating. Ano ngayon ang — on time,” he said.

Duterte further said: “I’m sure that everybody especially the World Health Organization must know our quandary na gagamitin natin (about our need).” The President raised the issue about the supply for second doses during a hybrid meeting with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other Cabinet members at the Palace. The efficacy of the vaccines received by the country will require two doses within a certain amount of time.

The country has so far received 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by China. An additional 525,600 of AstraZeneca shots came from the WHO. The government has started to distribute these vaccines, initially to health frontliners, on March 1. Around 193,000 healths workers have been received their COVID-19 jabs as of Monday. “And problema ‘yong naturukan na at kailangan na nila ng second dose. The second dose is critical here,” the President said.

In the meeting with the President, Duque recommended the distribution of all Astrazenca vaccines as first dose to benefit more health workers. He added the country could expect the delivery of more vaccine supplies from the COVAX facility in time for the second dose of these beneficiaries. AstraZeneca vaccine recipients, he said, are set to receive the second dose in 12 weeks. On the Sinovac vaccines, Duque assured that there would be sufficient allocation for the second dose of vaccines for the recipients. The second dose is given to the recipient 28 days after the first vaccination.

Source: mb.com.ph