AT least 3,600 of some 3,900 primary care facilities nationwide are now offering COVID-19 vaccines to the general population, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said many local government units (LGUs) have integrated the COVID-19 vaccination program in their local health services since late last year.
“Currently, we have 3,697 primary care facilities offering COVID-19 jabs and (administering COVID-19 vaccines) is part of their (LGUs) regular schedule,” she said in a press briefing.
Based on the latest DOH data, of the 3,900 primary care facilities nationwide, 2,593 are rural health units and local health centers. Primary care facilities are those located in communities like health centers, barangay health stations, and rural health stations.
Last year, the DOH announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be continuously accessible to the public once they are included in routine vaccines available in health centers.
As of January 15, there were 73,803,831 fully vaccinated individuals in the country while 21,241,707 eligible individuals have received booster shots.
BIVALENT JABS
Vergeire said the DOH will closely monitor studies on reported possible adverse effects of bivalent vaccines which are being linked to a type of brain stroke based on preliminary data.
“We take it with a grain of salt. It is being considered and we will monitor properly in case the bivalent jabs arrive,” Vergeire said, noting similar findings were also raised during the early part of the COVID-19 monovalent vaccine rollout.
“If we go back to the monovalent vaccines, there were similar reports. There were supposed cases of embolism or heart problems or stroke,” she said.
This was later been proven unfounded, she said, as the number of adverse reactions from COVID-19 jabs is merely at 0.07 percent, or 111,046 out of 168,816,023 doses administered, as of Nov. 30, 2022.
“In the almost two years of vaccination, there have been very low adverse reactions from the vaccines. It is just at less than 1 percent,” she said.
The DOH issued the statement after reports came out that the bivalent vaccines of drug maker Pfizer are being linked to ischemic stroke among people aged 65 and older.
The DOH is already in talks with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna for the provision of bivalent jabs in the Philippines.
