VVOC: Vaxx doses affected by blackout, unstable power

THE Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) said it is assessing vaccine doses with stringent temperature requirements.

VVOC spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche told SunStar Cebu that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, once thawed, should be utilized immediately.

“It will be difficult to assess now the doses that are affected by the blackout and continuing unstable power,” she said.

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine needs to be stored in a cold chain facility with a temperature of -75 to -80 degrees centigrade or ultra-low temperature freezers.

She said the vaccine manufacturer extended it to -90 degrees centigrade while the Moderna vaccine’s storage requirement is -50 to -15 degrees Celsius.

Vaccination operations remain suspended as Central Visayas continues to grapple with the effects of Typhoon Odette.

According to an earlier report, Project Balik Buhay (PBB) temporarily suspended vaccination operations until further notice to address any needed physical repairs in light of Typhoon Odette.

PBB, in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Saturday, Dec. 18, said data recording systems and SMS notifications “are highly dependent on network connections which remain unstable at this time.”

As of Dec. 15, 2021, a total of 4,242,642 vaccine doses had been administered across all public and private sector vaccination centers in Cebu.

Typhoon Odette (Rai) slammed into Cebu last Dec. 16, causing a province-wide blackout. (JOB)