UNDERSCORING the importance of being fully vaccinated, the Department of Health yesterday said almost 9 in 10 of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 are either unvaccinated or not fully immunized.
In a briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said about 185,000 of some 216,000 COVID-19 patients hospitalized since March 1 were found to be not fully vaccinated.
“There were a total of 216,074 COVID-19 cases seen or admitted in the health facilities from March 1 to November 14, 2021,” said Vergeire. “About 86% of COVID-19 patients seen in the hospital are not fully vaccinated.”
She said this only shows that deaths and serious outcomes are more likely to happen among the unvaccinated.
“Severe and critical symptoms are 1.75 times more likely to occur among unvaccinated compared to those fully vaccinated,” she said.
“Deaths are 2.6 times more likely to occur among unvaccinated compared to those fully vaccinated,” she added.
As of November 21, the DOH said about 33.57 million are fully vaccinated and 41.99 million have received the first of two vaccine doses.
To boost vaccination efforts, the DOH said all regions will be considered as priority during the three-day national vaccination drive starting November 29.
“The main objective of this vaccination days is for us to be able to improve on vaccinating those still unvaccinated so all regions are deemed as priority,” Vergeire said.
But she said the targets are higher in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas regions because of their bigger population.
The three-day event targets to inoculate 15 million Filipinos, or five million jabs a day.
Government yesterday started administering booster shots to senior citizens (A2 priority group in the national vaccination drive) and third shots to immunocompromised individuals (A3).
Dr. Nina Gloriani, chair of the vaccine experts panel, received her booster of Sinovac at the launch of boosters for seniors at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the government may start giving the booster shot to the other half of the A3 category by next week.
The immunocompromised individuals are part of the A3 category but are more vulnerable than those with other ailments. The immunocompromised include those with immunodeficiency state, people living with HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant patients, and patients under immunosuppressive treatments.
National Task Force against COVID-19 chief and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government hopes to complete booster shots of the healthcare workers by the end of November to mid-December, and booster and third shots of the senior citizens and those with comorbidities, respectively by the end of the year.
The government started administering a booster on healthcare workers last week.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said senior citizens and the immunocompromised and those with comorbidities will still need to pre-register for their booster.
MANDATORY VACCINATION
The Department of Labor and Employment said the mandatory vaccine requirement for on-site workers is expected to be implemented nationwide by December 1.
Labor Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresita Cucueco said the government has acquired and deployed enough COVID-19 vaccines, which means all on-site workers may be mandated to get inoculated.
“There will be enough supply. The vaccines are there in all regions,” she said. “It will be implemented nationwide. December 1 is the reckoning period.”
Earlier, Malacañang said the government will require vaccination of all employees doing on-site work in areas where there are sufficient supplies of vaccines, beginning December 1.
Cucueco, however, explained that the workers should not look at the policy as forcing workers to get inoculated.
“If the work-from-home arrangement is available, they can work from home. But if they don’t have that option, they can still go to work on-site but they have to get tested (for COVID-19),” said Cucueco.
If they still refuse, however, the labor official admitted that they will be forced to use their leaves or risk not getting paid.
“If they still refuse and they still have leave credits, they may use them. But if there are no leaves available, they would have to go with the ‘no work, no pay’ policy,” she said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
