Is the long wait finally over? Or, shall we say, it’s a never-ending journey in dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). With the start of the government’s vaccination program, some sectors viewed this as the “light at the end of the tunnel.” However, others viewed this as a never-ending misery for the Filipino people that we have to bear this pandemic for a longer period of time. Why? The vaccines that have been released recently may be the solution to stop the virus from spreading. However, Covid-19 has also leveled up. There are newly discovered Covid-19 variants which these vaccines will not reportedly work against. This means that the pharmaceutical companies will have to manufacture another formula of vaccines that will counter these new variants.
Health authorities discovered the UK, South African and Brazil variants. There is also the so-called “mutation of concern” that was discovered here in Cebu. These variants are seen to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of Covid-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations and potentially deaths.
Even experts admitted that being vaccinated is not a guarantee that one will not be infected with the virus. Worse, these vaccines that were released recently will not work against the newly discovered variants simply because these vaccines were manufactured intended for the original variant only. But other experts say these vaccines will still work for the new variants because it will give protection to our immune system. Very confusing, indeed.
I understand that some people may be concerned about getting vaccinated now that Covid-19 vaccines are available. More Covid vaccines are developed by big pharmaceutical companies in various countries as quickly as possible. Routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use. Safety is a top priority and there are reasons to be vaccinated.
All Covid-19 vaccines currently available, especially those made in the United States, have been shown to be highly effective at preventing Covid-19. All the vaccines are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and are authorized or approved for use.
The best means of staying healthy is to avoid infection by the Covid-19 virus. If, however, you do become infected, vaccination appears to limit the risk of developing severe or even total symptoms. This is because the currently available vaccines prime your immunological system for producing anti-bodies without causing you to get sick if you do become infected, your body is prepared to fight the disease. Vaccination typically results in fewer or mild symptoms when you’re ill or no symptoms at all, the US Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) reported.
Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19. Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of Covid-19 vaccination on severity of illness from the virus as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus from causes of Covid 19.
Wearing a mask and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. The vaccine will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
Aside from the China-made Sinovac vaccine, which was donated by the Chinese government to the country, another batch of vaccines made by AstraZeneca donated by the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived here the other night. These will be rolled out soon. But the problem is how the government will convince those who are hesitant to get vaccinated. In a recent survey conducted by Octa Research, an independent survey group monitoring Covid-19 updates, only 19 percent of the Filipino people want to be vaccinated. This ratio has been somehow confirmed by no less than the frontliners, who were supposed to be first in the line to be vaccinated, but most of them have been hesitant for various reasons. Even top health officials in the country are also hesitant to avail themselves of the government’s vaccination program.
At the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, out of almost 3,000 personnel only less than a thousand signified their intention to be inoculated. How can they convince ordinary people to avail themselves of the government’s vaccination program when they themselves, the medical health workers, who know about medicine, refuse to be vaccinated?
Even Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas refused to be vaccinated, claiming they are overage. Only adults 18-59 years are qualified to be injected with the Sinovac vaccine. Hadlok man gani sila, kita pa kaha?