The Philippines is set to receive some nine million doses of Influenza A (H1N1) vaccines from the World Health Organization (WHO) who earlier pledged to distribute the vaccines equally to developing countries.

Speaking in a media conference held at the Department of Health (DoH) office in Tayuman, Manila, WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan said the first batch of the vaccines numbering to 1.9 million doses is expected before the end of the year.

The first bulk of the vaccines have been reserved for health workers who are more at risk for acquiring the disease, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said adding that they have already identified 400,000 medical personnel who will receive doses of the vaccine.

“Next in line in the priority list are pregnant women because they have ten times the risk of needing intensive care if infected compared to the general population; people aged six months to 59 years old with chronic medical conditions; children five years old and below and adults who are beyond 60 years old (healthy or otherwise) because they are considered to be at higher risk of severe infection; and lastly, the remainder of the population,” Duque told the press.

“The vaccination is free of charge and will only be given to those who will volunteer to be immunized against the novel virus,” he added.

As of October 10, the DoH surveillance system has recorded a total of 5,416 cases and 33 deaths due to A (H1N1). But Duque emphasized that 99 percent of those who contracted the disease recovered fully.

Duque and Chan signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) Thursday allowing the registration and use of the vaccines and the Philippine government’s commitment to its ethical use.

The MoA also directs the DoH to handle its importation costs, customs duties, and the setting up of a monitoring system that will record the number of people who may experience adverse reaction against the vaccine.

“It is not uncommon to find adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction that is fatal as it causes difficulty in breathing and wheezing) ... this will have to be reported because it is the first time that the vaccines will be used so it is important that adverse effects are reported to WHO,” Duque said.

“The pandemic vaccine has been used in many countries now and more than 17 million people have been vaccinated. Yes, we have been receiving reports of side-effects, including Anaphylaxis. But if you look at the scale and the large number of people vaccinated the rate of side-effects is within the expected range… We can say that the vaccine safety is similar to the seasonal Influenza vaccine safety,” Chan said.

In a separate interview, Dr. Yolly Oliveros, director of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC), said the adverse reaction may include headache, dizziness, and swelling on the spot where the vaccine was administered. But she stressed that this is a rare occurrence among people who were vaccinated.