MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Department of Health’s (DOH) proposal to use AstraZeneca’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine second doses as first jabs to healthcare workers and medical frontliners.
In a memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Duterte ordered the use of all 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines to medical workers, particularly in areas experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections.
“Naaprubahan na po ng ating Presidente ‘yung paggamit ng lahat po ng AstraZeneca na nakuha po natin, donasyon galing sa COVAX facility, para gamitin po bilang first dose para sa ating mga frontline workers,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
DOH secretary Francisco Duque III has previously proposed to the President to use the AstraZeneca vaccine intended for second dose as first jabs to frontliners since they will expire after three months.
According to Duque, it is logical to use the second jabs since the time interval needed between the first and second doses of the vaccine is 12 weeks or three months.
Duterte was receptive to the suggestion because he feared that the next batch of the vaccines would be delayed but Duque assured it will not happen.
AstraZeneca vaccine has an efficacy rate of 70 percent after the first dose based on the Philippine Food Drug Administration (FDA) evaluation, a rate that increases after the second dose is administered.
There were reports of blood clot incidents and reported deaths with regards to the vaccine which forced some countries to suspend its rollout.
The FDA, however, said the AstraZeneca vaccine that arrived in the country was not from the same batch that reportedly caused blood clots in some European countries./PN
