A MEMBER of the Vaccine Experts Panel yesterday stressed the need to redefine the term “fully vaccinated” to include the two-dose or single-dose primary series plus a booster shot.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, who is an infectious disease expert, noted that many fully vaccinated individuals have skipped their booster shots on the assumption that it is no longer a requirement for them to go out of their homes, travel and gain entry to different places.
In an interview with DZBB, Solante said some people think that they only need to be vaccinated with the single or two-dose primary series for them to be fully vaccinated.
Solante said the individuals assume that a booster shot is no longer needed.
He stressed, though, that studies have shown that the single or two-dose primary series start to wane three months after inoculation.
“Ang nakita sa mga datos, kapag third month, mababa na ang proteksyon ng bakuna (What we see in the data is that protection from the vaccines starts to go down on the third month),” he said.
Data as of March 31 from the National Vaccination Operation Center (NVOC) showed that 12.075 million have received their booster shots while the fully vaccinated are 65.99 million. More than 142.4 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide.
Solante reiterated the urgency of getting a booster, possibly even a second booster or fourth shot, for the vulnerable sectors such as the elders, immunocompromised, and the healthcare workers who are exposed to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infected patients.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III urged the government to immediately distribute the 27 million COVID-19 vaccines which are set to expire in July so they can be used by the people.
“They should distribute it right away nationwide so those who want to have boosters can avail so the people’s money will not be wasted,” Sotto said in an interview in Cebu.
Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion over the weekend said some P27 million worth of vaccines are to expire by July this year.
Sotto said the vaccines were bought by the government using taxpayers’ money and it is only proper that they be used by the people.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon took to task the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for their “callous disregard for the taxpayers.”
“More than two years into the pandemic, the IATF still manages to mismanage the government’s response to the pandemic. It is unconscionable that the vaccines that were purchased through loans could end up in the garbage,” Drilon said.
“It is criminal neglect if they let that happen. I’d like to remind the DOH and the IATF that it is Juan dela Cruz who will pay for these vaccines,” he added.
Drilon said the purchase of millions of COVID-19 vaccines raised the country’s debt stock from P9 trillion pre-pandemic to P12 trillion as of February 2022.
At P500 per dose, he said the government is throwing away P13.5 billion if the 27 million doses are not administered within the next three months.
Drilon said that these P13.5 billion could have been used instead to augment the ayuda or financial assistance for PUV drivers and operators affected by the astronomical increase in the prices of fuel.
He said that the government should not allow the doses to expire, as he pointed out that a considerable number of Filipinos have not yet received their booster shots.
“I hope we are not resting on our laurels. The coronavirus is still within our midst. We must ramp up our vaccination efforts. We have 27 million doses of vaccines that are close to their expiration dates. The DOH and IATF should distribute in the most efficient manner,” Drilon said.
OVERTIME
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the DOH is set to ask local government units as well as healthcare facilities to continue administering COVID-19 vaccines even during the observance of the Holy Week.
In a radio interview, Cabotaje said: “We would like the vaccination centers to be open so we would make the request to our LGUs. The DOH is also set to enjoin DOH and non-DOH hospitals as well as private hospitals to continue vaccination activities even during the Holy Week.”
Cabotaje said they are issuing the call as they expect vaccination activities to stop during Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
The concurrent head of the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) said they are also planning the holding of mass vaccination drives after the Holy Week to be held in specific areas of the country with low vaccination coverages.
Cabotaje said most of the areas being eyed are in Mindanao, which include the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (27%), Soccsksargen (57%), Northern Mindanao (68%), and Davao Region (69%). — With Raymond Africa and Gerard Naval
