In a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the non-disclosure of vaccine procurement contracts, panel chairman Senator Francis Tolentino asked Vergeire if the total vaccine wastage in the country could reach 50.74 million by the end of the month.
Vergeire answered in affirmative.
Out of the said 50.74 million doses of Covid-19, Tolentino said 44 million have already expired.
Those expiring soon are 4.36 million doses of Pfizer vaccines for adults and children and 2.16 million Sinovac.
Tolentino said that the price per dose of the Pfizer vaccine is $6.75, while the Sinovac vaccine is priced at $14 per dose, and the Moderna vaccine at $43 per dose.
About 11 million doses of Moderna have expired in the Philippines.
Vergeire also said that there are currently 6.9 million vaccine doses under quarantine as they coordinate with manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend their shelf life.
She said that the vaccines’ next expiry dates would fall in September 2023.
Vergeire also agreed with Tolentino that the country’s vaccine wastage may reach 60 million in the long run due to vaccine hesitancy.
She, however, assured that the department is ramping up its efforts to increase vaccine acceptance.
As of March 5, the country has administered a total of 166,549,824 Covid-19 vaccine doses, with 71.072 million being first doses, 73.899 million being second doses, and 21.577 million being booster doses. (SunStar Philippines)