By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Stressing the importance of vaccination to combat pertussis, safe and effective, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday (08 April 2024) admitted that there may be a shortage of vaccines against the “whooping cough” or pertussis next month.
This was revealed on Monday by DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa amid the highly contagious respiratory infection outbreak in some parts of the country.
Herbosa admitted that currently, the country still has “enough” supply of the pentavalent vaccine which gives protection against pertussis, as well as diphtheria, tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B.
“We have enough, but magkakaroon tayo ng shortage some time in May. Ito ‘yung ina-address naming gap,” Herbosa lamented in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.
He disclosed that the 5-in-1 vaccine that the DOH initially ordered will only arrive in June as the country’s stock will get depleted in May.
The DOH chief added that he may need to order an older type of vaccine called DPT, which could only fight off diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
(el Amigo/MNM)
