The current solution for the delayed delivery of Sputnik V’s second dose is to wait for its arrival, while ‘mix and match’ of vaccines due to the delay depends on the national government’s advice, said Dr. Ricardo Panganiban, Head of the City Health Office (CHO) and the Puerto Princesa City COVID-19 Vaccination Council Chairman (PPC-COVAC).
Dr. Panganiban said that almost all of the remaining recipients have exceeded the 42-day Sputnik V first dose interval that is advised by the Department of Health (DOH), yet the consequence of this lapse still remains unknown.
“We depend on our experts na sumagot sa ganyang katanungan. At this point, unfortunately, hindi ko pa masasabi kung anong mangyayari. Implementor lang po tayo eh. Ang mga experto po natin nasa Central Office po ‘yun, dun lang po tayo kumukuha ng sagot at guidelines,” Dr. Panganiban added.
Amidst this uncertainty, the PPC-COVAC Chairman points out that the current solution for this matter is for the second doses to arrive.
“Dun po sa mga nakatanggap, eh personally, wala rin po ako magagawa kasi dependent naman po tayo dun sa padala ng national government. ‘Pag wala pong napadala sa atin at wala pong dumating sa kanila, wala rin silang ipapadala sa ‘min. So, at this point, mag-aantay lang talaga tayo dun sa advice ng national government, ng Department of Health regarding diyan sa Sputnik,” he says.
He also stressed that this Sputnik shortage has been faced not only by Puerto Princesa but other places that have received the Russian brand vaccine.
“It’s unfortunate na nangyari po ‘yun ‘no. Actually, sabi ko nga ay sa susunod ‘pag nag-offer ulit sila…kelangan ipadala na kaagad nila ‘yung first and second dose, kung wala po ‘yun eh‘di po nating tatangapin…kasi diyan lang naman kami nagka-problema eh, diyan lang tayo lahat nagka-problema. Actually, ‘di lang naman [ang] Puerto Princesa. Lahat po nang tumanggap ng Sputnik,” he added.
MIXING OF VACCINES
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced on August 12, 2021 that ‘mix and match’ of vaccine due to Sputnik’s second vaccine dose delay has been approved by the vaccine expert panel and DOH’s executive committee, but the city has yet to receive a go signal to do so.
“Wala pa po. Hinihintay din po natin. Tsaka ‘yung advise po kung halimbawa talagang hindi natin in-expect na ganito, ganun, So nag-aantay lang kami ng advice sa kanila,” Dr. Panganiban further added.
The vaccine experts of the country are eyeing to substitute AstraZeneca as the second shot of Sputnik V because both are adenoviral vector vaccines.
Dr. Panganiban expressed his opinion on this ‘mix and match’ solution, stressing that the results of research should be awaited.
“Para sa akin, antayin natin ‘yung mga maging result ng mga research ng mga mas nauna sa ating mga countries regarding doon. Then, syempre as a physician, mag-aantay po tayo dun sa recommendations ng ating mga experts regarding diyan sa mix and match,” he said.
SPUTNIK V II ARRIVAL
Meanwhile, 15,000-second doses of Sputnik V finally arrived in the country on August 13 and will be deployed as soon as possible to those nearing the 42-day interval, a PNA article reports.
PPC-COVAC Chairman confirms that as long as it is advised by the experts, they will still administer second dose of Sputnik V even if there’s been a lapse in the recommended 42 days’ interval. He also assured that the vaccines are delivered in the city within days after its arrival in the national level.