New DOH chief vows to acquire more bivalent COVID shots

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) — New Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said he would push for the purchase of more bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, saying the more than 390,000 shots delivered earlier were not enough.

“Kulang ‘yung 390,000 (The 390,000 [vbivalent vaccines] are not enough), we need to get more,” he said during an ambush interview with reporters Thursday.

Herbosa said the Philippines would acquire more, especially for the vulnerable sectors and healthcare workers.

He added the government would start distributing the initial batch of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines today, with Metro Manila securing the bulk of the shots.

The first batch arrived in the Philippines on June 3. The DOH earlier said the bivalent vaccine covers both the original coronavirus strain and its Omicron variant.

READ: First batch of donated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines arrives in PH

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/6/3/first-batch-bivalent-vaccines.html

The supply would be administered to health workers and senior citizens.

Other sectors of the population will come next in the succeeding rollout of the bivalent vaccines.