RP to get 9M doses of H1N1 flu vaccines

Posted November 26, 2009 18:53:00

Dona Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine government will receive a total of nine million doses of vaccines against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the coming months.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and WHO Director General Margaret Chan announced Thursday that both parties signed an agreement wherein the WHO would turn over H1N1 flu vaccines to the Philippine government as part of its pledge to give developing countries access to the newly developed vaccines.

The Philippine government on the other hand committed to register and authorize the use of the vaccines and to notify WHO of the occurrence of any unexpected “adverse events,” among others.

In a news conference, Chan said the first deliveries of the vaccines, about 1.2 million doses, would arrive before the end of the year.

Duque said they would prioritize giving the vaccines to about 400,000 frontline health workers at “higher risk of getting the disease than ordinary people due to the larger probability of exposure.”

“They may also unknowingly transmit the infections to their families and other patients with other illnesses,” he added.

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