By Christine Fabro
As the Philippines race to protect the mass population against COVID-19, vaccination remains the key to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Department of Health (DOH), along with other agencies and experts in the field, said that the best vaccine is the one available, thus everyone is encouraged to protect the entire community by getting vaccinated against the disease.
As such, all COVID-19 vaccines that are listed under the Philippine Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) have undergone a rigorous regulatory process before they can be used in the country to ensure that all are equally safe and effective to use.
COVID-19 vaccines that have secured the EUA are namely: Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sputnik V, Covaxin, and Moderna.
These vaccines that were made available in the Philippines reflect on the country’s widening of its vaccine portfolio “to fulfill its commitment to secure 140 million doses for 70 million Filipinos and so it does not have to depend on a single manufacturer to supply vaccines,” said the DOH.
The DOH also said that the goal of COVID-19 vaccines is to prevent deaths and hospitalization, while the level of protection against COVID-19 that a vaccinated person gets depends on several factors including the number of doses given, age of of the vaccinated person, and any underlying conditions or comorbidities.
People who experience any side effects after getting inoculated are said to be a normal sign that the body is developing protection against COVID-19, according to the DOH.
The DOH also said that the second dose is as important as the first dose for an individual to be fully protected against the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.
As of May 23, a total of 949,939 individuals have completed their vaccination against COVID-19 while 3,147,486 got inoculated with their first dose of immunization.
The Philippines has also reached a record 7-day moving average of 108,000 vaccinated individuals nationwide on May 18.
Despite being vaccinated, the public is still reminded to wear masks, observe physical distancing, and avoid crowded places at all times “to help bring an end to the spread of COVID-19.” –rir
