The Philippines is grappling with a significant increase in respiratory illnesses, recording 200,000 cases of flu and COVID-19. This surge is notably higher than the typical 90,000 cases observed in the season.
Undersecretary Eric Tayag of the Department of Health noted that while not all cases are flu-related, some are COVID-19 infections. The department also disclosed the unfortunate wastage of approximately 49.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, including both donated and government-procured vaccines. Looking ahead, the Department of Health has decided not to allocate funds for COVID-19 vaccine procurement in the upcoming year.