The Department of Health (DOH) will not buy vaccines against COVID-19 until the end of the year for 2022.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told a Senate hearing on Monday that it has enough stocks for the first and second booster doses.

She said this plan is based on several scenarios examined the DOH.

''Based on our scenarios, we are not going to procure COVID-19 vaccines until the end of the year for 2022,'' said Vergeire.

The DOH website said as of August 14, 72.1 million persons have completed their primary dose but only 17 million have gotten their booster shots.

Vergeire said the DOH has requested the COVAX Facility to replaced the wasted 20.7 million vaccines. By the time, the vaccine supply is winding down in December, the replaced COVID-19 vaccines should start arriving, said Vergeire.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said there are around 20.7 million vaccines wasted as of August, amounting to P10.33 billion at P500 per vaccine.

Vergeire said the vaccine wastage is than the 10 percent threshold of the World Health Organization. DMS