Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire (File photo)
MANILA – A health official on Wednesday said the government is looking for a supplier of low dead space syringes to maximize the number of Covid-19 vaccine shots in each vial.
“Actually, there’s this one supplier pero ‘yung ating nilagay na presyo ay sobrang taas naman po ‘yung sa supplier at hindi naman po aabot ‘yung ating (but the price of the supplier for the syringes is a bit high and we don’t have enough) budget for that,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a televised Laging Handa public briefing.
She noted that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine which will arrive in the country is packaged with the low dead space syringe.
“For COVAX facility, kasama po ang heringilya na ibibigay nila sa atin pero tayo pa rin po ay patuloy nagpo-procure at naghahanap ng (the syringes are included in the vaccines they will give us but we continue to procure and look for) suppliers to provide us with this type of syringe,” she added.
There is a need for enough supply of low dead space syringes worldwide.
Apart from the Philippines, Japan is another Asian country searching for suppliers that could provide enough quantity of low dead space syringe for their Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
Low dead space syringes are designed to maximize the use of costly or limited supply of medication especially during a pandemic. (PNA)
