AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that arrived in the Philippines will be rolled out before the expiry date, according to DOH.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that arrived over the weekend will be rolled out before their expiry in May 2021.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday said during a briefing the 525,600 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that were delivered to the Philippines would expire at the end of May, but they have strategies in place as the second dose can be given after four to twelve weeks.
Vergeire also explained that no COVID-19 vaccine had an expiration date longer than six months.
“The manufacturers know that our situation is evolving and they might need to make changes to their vaccines,” Vergeire said.
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Out of the 114,615 individuals who had been vaccinated in the Philippines, 12,788 got the AstraZeneca vaccine and 101,827 got the Sinovac jab as of March 10, 2021.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses had been distributed to Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera, and Calabarzon after the additional batch was delivered last Sunday.
The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have said that the Philippines would proceed with the rollout of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines since there’s currently no indication that it caused the blood clots reported in some European countries.
GMA News Online reported that 85 minor side effects and one serious adverse event had been recorded following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
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