The Department of Health has assured the public it will continue monitoring all deployed vaccines in the country pending investigation of reported blood clotting in some people from other countries who received a particular vaccine.
DOH-Cordillera Assistant Director and spokesperson Amelita Pangalinan in its recent briefing said the DOH, along with the Food and Drug Administration and National Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases, emphasized there are not enough indications yet for the country to stop the vaccine rollout, particularly of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, as concerned agencies continue to coordinate on the concern.
Pangilinan said some European Union (EU) countries temporarily stopped their vaccination campaign with AstraZeneca following reports of blood clots in people who received the vaccine.
However, she said the EU Medicine Authority (EMA) has said there currently is no indication that such vaccine caused the condition, which is not listed as a side effect of Covid-19 vaccines. It is also the position of EMA’s Safety Committee or the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) that the vaccines’ benefits continue to outweigh its risks, and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.
The PRAC is also reviewing all these cases and other conditions related to blood clots reportedly caused by AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The public is assured that they will closely monitor all deployed vaccines as cases still rise and new variants discovered. We urge everyone to remain vigilant and to adhere and strictly practice the minimum health standards,” Pangilinan said, quoting the statement of the DOH central office.
In the Cordillera, the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines received by the region to the different provinces started on March 11, although Baguio City started its rollout last March 4.
Based on the vaccine rollout update of DOH-Cordillera as of March 16, a total of 1,572 health workers received the AstraZeneca vaccine: 155 in Abra; 76 in Apayao; 971 from Baguio; 72 in Benguet; 35 in Ifugao; 75 in Kalinga; and 68 in Mountain Province.
For Sinovac, 6,257 health workers were vaccinated: 453 in Abra; Apayao with 583; 2,698 for Baguio; 883 in Benguet; 313 in Ifugao; 578 in Kalinga; and 749 in Mountain Province.
Pangilinan’s March 15 report said there were no refusals, four deferrals, and 87 minor adverse events following inoculation with AstraZeneca; while there were 539 refusals, 607 deferrals, and 245 cases of adverse events that were managed accordingly for Sinovac.
Pangilinan said after completing the inoculation of hospital frontliners, next to receive vaccines are health workers at temporary treatment and monitoring facilities and community isolation facilities, then those from district health center, rural health units, barangay health and emergency response teams, and contact tracers.
She added they are expecting to receive the next batches of vaccines end of this month. – Hanna C. Lacsamana
April 20, 2024
