MANILA, Philippines — Patuloy ang paalala ng Department of Health (DOH) sa publiko maging sa mga indibidwal na nakakumpleto na ng dalawang dosage ng COVID-19 vaccines na mag-ingat dahil posible pa rin silang mahawa ng virus.

Paliwanag ng DOH, patuloy pang pinag-aaralan ang pagiging epektibo ng bakuna at wala pang sapat na ebidensya kung kailan makukuha ng isang indibidwal ang ganap na proteksyon pagkatapos na makapagpabakuna.

Ayon sa DOH at maging ng mga vaccine expert, proteksyon sa pagkakaroon ng severe case ng coronavirus disease ang maibibigay ng mga COVID-19 vaccines sa ngayon at hindi ang immunity sa pagkakahawa sa virus.

“Ang sinasabi natin, lahat ng bakuna na available ngayon for EUA ay wala silang kapasidad para mag-block ng transmission. Ibig sabihin, kahit ikaw ay bakunado na even with your second dose you can still be infected and you can still infect others,” paliwanag ni Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Sa kasalukuyan, ilang bansa gaya ng Singapore at Japan ang nakapagtala na ng mga indibidwal na nahawa pa rin sa COVID-19 ilang araw pagkatapos na mabakunahan ng bakunang Pfizer-BionTech.

Kaya naman pinag-iingat pa rin ng DOH ang mga nakakumpleto na ng two dosage ng COVID-19 vaccines at sumunod pa rin sa health protocols dahil hanggang ngayon ay patuloy pang pinag-aaralan kung kailan makukuha ng isang indibidwal na nabakunahan ang ganap na proteksyon nito sa katawan.

“Wala pang lumalabas na sufficient evidence to state how much time does these vaccines give as protection. mayroon pailan-ilang studies lumalabas up to three months up to six months pero wala pa talagang sufficient na ebidensya at wala pa ring ibinibigay na rekomendasyon ang (World Health Organization),” ayon kay Vergeire.

Ngunit paliwanag ng mga vaccine expert, kung mahahawa man ang indibidwal na naka-kumpleto na ng COVID-19 vaccine, hindi naman ito magkakaroon ng severe cases ng sakit.

Base sa evaluation ng Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ang bakunang CoronaVac ng Sinovac ay may 100 percent efficacy rate laban sa pagkakaroon ng severe case; 50 percent laban sa mild cases; at 83 percent sa moderate cases.

Ang bakunang AstraZeneca naman ay may 100 percent efficacy rate upang protektahan ang isang indibidwal sa pagkakaroon ng moderate to severe cases ng COVID-19.

“Again I reiterate that it may not prevent you from getting an infection but it will suddenly prevent you from severe disease and death,” concluded Dr. Ruby Pawankar, president of the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI). –MNP (sa ulat ni Harlene Delgado)

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada is now out of the intensive care unit (ICU) and will soon be transferred to a non-COVID ward, his son, former senator Jinggoy Estrada said on Wednesday.

“My father is back to a regular room and will be transferred to the non-covid area in a few days,” Jinggoy wrote on his social media page.

“He is still on oxygen but no longer high flow and only by nasal cannula,” he added.

The younger Estrada made the announcement a day after he said that his father already tested negative for COVID-19.

“He has no more fever and is eating well. He is well-oriented and conversing normally,” he said. “Our family wishes to thank everyone who offered their prayers and support. Please continue to pray for him and to all those afflicted by this disease.”

The former president tested positive for COVID-19 in late March.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Wednesday recorded 8,122 new novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, bringing the total tally to 892,880, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

In its bulletin, the DOH said the latest figure pushed the country’s total active cases to 173,047.

The agency, however, noted that the tally does not include data from 12 laboratories that failed to submit their reports on time.

It further explained that the low case count is due to the low testing output of laboratories on April 12.

The DOH also announced that the total recoveries rose to 704,386 after 501 more patients recovered from the viral respiratory disease.

The death toll climbed to 15,447 with 162 new fatalities.