MANILA (UPDATE) — A health workers' group is urging the Department of Health to use up its remaining COVID-19 vaccines before buying bivalent vaccines for the Philippines.

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Alliance of Health Workers president Robert Mendoza said procuring COVID vaccines is "becoming a business" as government continues to procure more jabs despite existing stock and high vaccine wastage.

Early this month, the DOH disclosed that the number of wasted COVID-19 shots in the country has reached 44 million. The wasted jabs amount to around P22 billion if each is priced at P500.

The bulk of these doses came from local government units and the private sector, it added.

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"Parang nagiging negosyo... 'Wag tayo magsayang ng pera natin. Siguro hindi na kailangan ang bivalent vaccines kasi ang current vaccines epektib naman," Mendoza said in a TeleRadyo interview.

"Ubusin muna 'yan bago bumili ng bivalent vaccines," he added.

'SPECIFIC INTENT'

In response, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency would continue to use monovalent vaccines.

"Itong pagbili natin ng bivalent vaccine hindi po ito para dagdagan lang ang stock. Kaya tayo bibili because there is a special or specific intent kaya tayo nangangailangan ng bivalent vaccines," she said in a press briefing Tuesday.

The Philippines will procure omicron-specific COVID-19 jabs to protect the public, especially the vulnerable population, according to the Department of Health

Based on evidence, she said bivalent vaccines can target the original strain of the virus and omicron subvariants.

"Ipagpapatuloy po natin ang pagtuturok nitong monovalent vaccine," she said.

"But at the same time, we are buying the bivalent vaccine because we want to have that chance also na magamit natin ito especially dun sa mga nangangailangan nating vulnerable sector," she continued.

'TAMA NA'

Mendoza also confirmed nearly 600,000 of some 1.1 million health workers in the country have yet to receive a 2nd COVID-19 vaccine booster.

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He said many health workers are confident with the protection given by 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses plus a booster shot since many health workers are no longer getting sick.

"Tama na siguro 'yung 2 vaccine na kanilang natanggap," he said.

Mendoza also backed a proposal to distribute booster shots to the general population particularly senior citizens and those with co-morbidities.

"Kahit magbahay-bahay, dapat gamitin ito sa tama. Sayang talaga kung hindi ito magagamit," he said.

As of Dec. 12, some 603,905 individuals under the A1 population or workers in frontline health services have availed of the second boosters.

Latest DOH figures show the country has provided second boosters to 3,691,412 eligible Filipinos.