The count on wasted COVID-19 Vaccines hit 60 million (as on March 10th) from the 44 million tally reported during the Blue Ribbon Committee one week ago. This expired vaccines will be disposed through pyrolysis or decomposition by high temperature. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been mandated to do the pyrolysis of the expired vaccines, although the safe disposal of the ashes has yet to be accounted for. While the Department of Health (DOH) was cautioned about the potential amid its potential risk to public health and safety.
The vaccines, priced at least P500 per piece, were mostly paid by the national government (though some were received as donations – a clear millions pesos flushed down the drain from the taxes paid by the Filipinos.
The wastage of millions of COVID-19 vaccines is beyond comprehension, does not resonate against the upsurge of the pandemia and death tally published! Definitely, it is unacceptable to say that the wastage in the financial resources is attributed to the “public’s dwindling interest in vaccines and boosters.”
The issue about donating the soon-to-expire vaccines by the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) discussions and negotiations cropped up during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. Apparently, there are NO takers/countries interested to receive the donation – not even Myanmar, Turkey, Syria, and some African nations.
MY COMMENT:
It is, indeed, a very sad reality that millions of COVID-19 and hard-earned millions are going the drain all because of the Filipinos indifference and polluted misconception about the role of vaccines. I find it a stupidity of the highest order reading the DOH’s statement about the “public’s dwindling interest in vaccines and boosters.” Never mind if they are the academically founded individuals who frown and disbelieve on the results of scientific researches or R/Ds – they compose the so- called anti-science sector. Vaccines, before being released to the consumer markets, pass through several layers of laboratory tests, validations before reaching the markets/outlets for consumption. Were not the staggering number of deaths caused by COVID-19, dominated by those who did not have vaccine and booster shots? The millions of pesos spent to procure the now expiring vaccines could have been added to the ‘ayuda’ given to displaced laborers and victims of natural calamities, instead!
ooo000ooo
NEXT TOPIC : “BFAR allocates P200 million to rescue salt industry”
SHARE S & T THOUGHTS through E-Mail: drpacjr@yahoo.com.
