City health officials have yet to hear from the national government if there will be an allocation for Puerto Princesa from the newly-arrived 15,000 Sputnik V second doses.
The said number of Component II Sputnik V vaccines arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday.
City Health Office (CHO) chief and Puerto Princesa Covac head Dr. Ric Panganiban also stated that they have yet to adopt the national government’s suggestion to repeat the vaccination process of nearly 5,000 first dose recipients using other vaccine brands.
“Wala pa ring pasabi ang DOH (Department of Health). So far, ‘di pa,” he said in a text message.
Panganiban previously stated that they will not be using AstraZeneca as a second dose, citing an advisory by the health department that discouraged vaccine-mixing and will instead wait for allocated doses to arrive. Though the recommended interval between doses is 42 days, the manufacturer recommends 90 days at maximum.
In mid-August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that they are planning to look into vaccinating first-dose Sputnik V recipients all over again using AstraZeneca if Gamaleya, Sputnik V’s manufacturer, fails to deliver its promised vaccines on time. The national government has yet to issue a plan of action for Sputnik V delays, stating instead that they have been following up with the manufacturer.
In Puerto Princesa, some 5,000 individuals received their first doses of Sputnik V in late June.
