14
Weekend
BALITA
Visit Visit www.Balita.com www.Balita.com
Health & Health & Family Family
Some vaccinated Pinoys possibly becoming lax on health protocols — OCTA MANILA (Mabuhay) — Some Filipinos, who were already vaccinated, are becoming lax on following COVID-19 safety protocols, which is still being required with more than a year into lockdown, OCTA Research Fellow Dr. Guido David said Wednesday. David said this after he was asked if Filipinos are being "overconfident" after getting vaccinated as virus infections keep on "fluctuating" amid strict community quarantine measures. "Actually, kasama yan sa mga dahilan, may mga nagkakaroon ng confidence na feeling superman na and then connected there nagiging lax na rin tayo ng kaunti," said David. On those who opt not to get a second dose of vaccine, David reminded that there is no guarantee that getting the first dose of the drug will fully protect them from the virus. "'Wag naman nila isipin na kapag naka first dose na okay na sila or protektado na. Hindi. Mababa pa protection. Nagrarange from 3 percent to 30 percent ang protection with the first dose. Baka may possibility na makakuha pa ng severe (infection)," David said, amid reports of those who failed to return for second dose of vaccines. "Kapag nagpabakuna tayo, kunin na natin ang second dose (Once we get vaccinated, let's remember to get the second dose.)," added David. Meanwhile, David also noted that increased mobility also cause a risk in transmission in communities. "Of course, nagbubukas tayo ng ekonomiya slowly pero ginagawa naman natin slowly. Pero kahit sa pag-increase ng mobility habang dumadami mga tao sa labas mas
tumataas ang risk ng kahawaaan," he said. (We are slowly reopening the economy but with the increase in mobility, with more people going outside, the risk of transmission is high.) Likewise, David reminded that lockdowns are not the only solution for decreasing COVID-19 cases but also aggressive contact tracing. Earlier, the OCTA Research Team noted an increase in reproduction number in the National Capital Region from 0.57 to 0.68. To recall, Metro Manila reverted to general community quarantine from May 15 to May 31. The national government then extended the classification over NCR until June 15. As of Wednesday, Philippines registered 1,240,716 total virus infections with 52,132 active cases, 21,158 deaths and 1,167,426 recoveries. (MNS)
Duque: Not yet time to drop face shields due to low COVID-19 vaccine coverage
M ANIL A (Mabuhay) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said the time is not yet right to lift the policy requiring the wearing of face shields in public areas, noting the Philippines’ low COVID-19 vaccine coverage so far. This was after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno renewed appeals for the national government to stop requiring the use of face shields in public, saying it was high time to adjust pandemic policies. “Okay [ang] mungkahi ni Mayor Isko kung malaki na vaccination coverage na-
tin (Mayor Isko’s proposal would be okay if we had a wide vaccination coverage),” Duque said. “H i nd i p a p w e den g tanggalin ang face shield policy (We can’t drop the face shield policy) for now when our two-dose vaccination coverage is a little over 2% due to still inadequate vaccine supply,” he added. The Philippines has only vaccinated over 3.9 million people as of May 30, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 58 million individuals in COVID-19 hotspots by
HEALTH SECRETARY FRANCISCO DUQUE III
November. The inter-agency COVID-19 task force made the use of face shields mandatory only in December last year. Duque has repeatedly stressed that the use of face shields is backed by science, citing a study published in leading international medical journal The Lancet. “There are many scientific studies showing that face shields in combination with face masks and more than 1-meter social distancing provide a greater than 95% protection,” he
said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, said the “evaluation of face shields is ongoing, but effectiveness is unknown at this time.” Both local and international experts have also advised against the use of face shields as a substitute for face masks, with one US study showing that shields alone cannot prevent the spread of the virus. (MNS)
Saturday-Friday Saturday-Friday || June June 55 -- 11, 11, 2021 2021
Covid-19 vax ‘imbalance’ must be corrected —Duterte MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed his call for universal access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines, stressing that vaccine “imbalance” will have consequences. Duterte made this pitch during the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Summit co-hosted by Japan Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and GAVI Chair of the Board Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday, according to a press statement from the Office of the President. In his speech, he emphasized the current “glaring imbalance” in vaccine distribution with more than 82 percent of the global supply going to developed countries. “This imbalance must be corrected – or there will be no real and inclusive global recovery to speak of,” Duterte said. Duterte also reiterated his earlier pledge to donate USD1 million as a contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX initiative to aid in accelerating global vaccination coverage. He first mentioned his desire to contribute USD1 million to the COVAX Facility in a pre-recorded public address on Monday. “It is our moral responsibility to help each other and face this crisis with greater solidarity and urgency. While modest, our contribution demonstrates our firm commitment to this global fight against Covid-19,” he added. Duterte said the Philippines, as both donor and recipient country, counts on the COVAX initiative to bring much-needed vaccines to developing countries. He also thanked the GAVI Alliance and encouraged more countries to also contribute. The Summit was held with the aim to fill the 1.8 billion gap of the COVAX AMC to provide Covid-19 vaccine doses for lower-income economies. Securing 1.8 billion doses would enable the AMC to protect nearly 30 percent of the population in all AMC countries or roughly half the entire adult population. Currently, the AMC has funds in place to protect approximately 20 percent of populations, equivalent to all health and social care workers, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions. (MNS)
Filipinos can still get 2nd dose of COVID-19 jab even after missing up to 2 weeks MANILA (Mabuhay) — Filipinos may still get their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine even after missing their schedule by one or two weeks, an epidemiology and data analytics expert working with government said Thursday. Some 1 out of 2.1 million vaccinees missed their second dose after being expected to receive the shot after 8 weeks, according to Dr. John Wong, founder of health research institution EpiMetrics Inc. "Okay lang naman basta ang importante bumalik sila para sa second dose. Without the second dose kulang ang protection nila. Kahit na you miss by 1 week or 2 weeks, basta bumalik ka," he said. Individuals missed their second dose appointment likely due to fear of side effects, conflict of schedule, or lack of supply, he added. Government aims to inoculate 500,000 Filipinos daily in Metro manila and 8 other key economic hubs to achieve "population protection" by November 27, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez earlier said. Some 1.2 million Filipinos are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 while government has administered more than 5.18 million jabs. (MNS)
