Probe ongoing in fire that destroyed thousands of Covid vaccines

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboanga del Sur provincial government has ordered an investigation into the fire that destroyed tens of thousands of Covid-19 vaccines at its cold storage facility in Pagadian City.

A provincial government photo shows the building used as Covid-19 vaccine storage in fire. Nearly 149,00 doses of Covid-19 vaccines are destroyed in the October 31, 2021 fire in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur. 

The fire destroyed the ground floor of a building where the medicines, intended for pediatric vaccination and those in the priority list of the Department of Health, had been stored. The provincial government said the October 31 fire also affected the storage used by the Philippine Red Cross, Integrated Provincial Hospital Office, among others. 

“Sumala sa inisyal nga impormasyon, nagsugod ang kalayo sa maintenance area sa ilawom nga bahin sa building, gikan sa ground floor, mikatag ngadto sa unang palapag sa building kun asa nahimutang ang buhatan sa IPHO, RED CROSS og PDOHO. Tungod sa maong sunog, nadamyos ang Covid vaccines (AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer ug Sinovac) nga naka-stock sa IPHO lakip na ang mga routine vaccine alang sa mga bata. Padayon pa ang imbestigasyon sa mga otoridad labot sa maong insidente,” the provincial government said in a statement. 

(Based on initial information, the fire begun at the maintenance area at the ground floor of the building and it quickly spread where the IPHO, Red Cross and PDOHO storage are located. The fire burned the Covid vaccines Astra Zeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Sinovac, including those intended for the children. The investigation is going.) 

The government said it was saddened by news that some 148,678 doses of Covid-19 vaccines went to waste. “We are saddened that 148,678 doses of COVID 19 vaccines were damaged during the fire that broke out at the Provincial Health Office of Zamboanga del Sur on the evening of October 31. The three-storey building which is occupied by different offices and departments of the provincial government also served as the provincial cold chain storage facility for Covid-19 vaccines allocated for 26 municipalities and one component city,” it said.

The fire destroyed some 9,176 doses of AstraZeneca; 14,400 doses of Moderna; 88,938 doses of Pfizer and 36, 164 doses of Sinovac. Pfizer and Moderna are the vaccines allowed for the pediatric vaccination program of the government. 

It was unknown why the vaccines were not immediately sent out to the municipal health centers. (Mindanao Examiner)