The Philippines would have to reimburse COVAX if the country’s COVID-19 vaccine priority line deemed violated, according to Gavi.
Gavi on Friday said that the Philippines would have to reimburse COVAX if the country’s COVID-19 vaccine priority line deemed violated.
In a report on CNN Philippines, the Philippines would have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines it earlier received from COVAX for free if it failed to justify why some government officials and personalities in the country cut the priority line in the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
This was according to the rules shared by Gavi — the vaccine alliance leading the global COVAX initiative along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization (WHO).
CNN Philippines also reported that Gavi was asked to comment on the Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccination program, which was being criticized for its failure to ensure that healthcare workers will be the first to get their COVID-19 vaccine doses.
In a statement sent to CNN Philippines, Gavi said that countries should follow the COVID-19 National Deployment Vaccination Plan they had submitted, adding that any departure from it will be investigated.
“Variations from the planned prioritization would constitute misuse, unless updates to plans are shared with COVAX and are documented, rationalized and evidence-based. If misuse is determined, countries will be held to account and will be required to reimburse COVAX,” Gavi said.
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The Philippines had received 525,600 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX, which provided vaccines to developing countries in order to ensure equitable access.
In total, 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have reached the Philippines — including some 1 million Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by China.
The country’s 1.7 million health care workers were top priority in the national COVID-19 vaccination plan, followed by senior citizens and people with comorbidities, and other frontline workers.
However, despite the limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, those who were not medical frontliners — including local and national government officials and personalities — have jumped the queue and got vaccinated.
READ ALSO: DILG To Issue Show Cause Orders vs Mayors Receiving Vaccines Ahead Of Place In Vaccine Priority List
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had asked five mayors to explain why they put themselves first in the inoculation. According to the DILG, show cause orders were being prepared against more local officials.
Governors, mayors, and village chiefs were recently moved up in the COVID-19 vaccine priority list, but they can only be vaccinated after health workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.
WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe earlier warned that the Philippines could lose millions of donated COVID-19 vaccine doses if it failed to follow the requirement to prioritize health workers and vulnerable sectors.
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