40 Million Covid Shots Remain Unused in Philippines Over ‘Logistical Bottlenecks’
Residents from islands wait in line to receive a dose of Sinovac Covid-19 in the remote island of Abunciang in Pangasinan province, Philippines, on Sept. 7
Photographer: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
Millions of coronavirus vaccines remain unused in the Philippines as logistical bottlenecks and hesitancy slow inoculations, health officials said, highlighting another risk to the nation’s economic recovery.
More than 40 million of the 108 million vaccines the nation has received are in warehouses, in transit to the archipelago’s remote islands, or waiting to be used in local health offices, according to the health department. Inoculations are hampered by “logistical bottlenecks,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said at a virtual briefing Wednesday.