MAJORITY of the active Covid-19 cases in Davao Region are unvaccinated, the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao said.
Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, DOH-Davao Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit head, said in a virtual presser on Tuesday, August 31, that based on the August 29 data, out of the 11,543 active cases, 95.57 percent have not received a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccines.
About 1.47 percent are those who have incomplete doses or have only received their first dose, and 2.96 percent are those fully vaccinated or have received their two doses of the vaccine.
“Of these fully vaccinated, it is very noteworthy that none of these fully vaccinated are in critical condition,” Pasion said during the DOH-Davao virtual presser.
The health official said there had been misconceptions that a fully vaccinated person will not be infected with the Sars-CoV-2, the virus causing the Covid-19.
“‘Yun ang pangako ng ating mga bakuna. Hindi sa hindi tayo magkaka-Covid-19 100 percent pag nabakunahan tayo. It is almost a hundred percent sure that it will not fail as if magkaka-Covid po tayo eh hindi tayo magiging critical or to the point na mag-iintubate po sa atin (When you are fully vaccinated, it does not mean you will not get the Covid-19 but the vaccine will protect you from being in critical condition or being intubated),” she said.
DOH also said in its frequently asked questions that “no vaccine provides 100 percent protection from Covid-19.”
“It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection,” DOH said.
In addition, the health department also said efficacy is measured not only by a vaccine's ability to prevent infection, but also in its prevention of severe forms of the disease and of forward transmission.
While a vaccinated person may not be completely prevented from getting infected, he or she will still have a reduced risk of getting severe forms of Covid-19.
“If more people have this reduced risk, then we can more effectively reduce transmission,” DOH said.
Philippine College of Physicians-Southern Mindanao Chapter President Dr. Kathryn Uy Roa said in a separate virtual presser that certain groups of individuals can benefit if the rest of the community will be vaccinated.
These include dialysis patients, transplant patients, cancer patients, eldery, children, and pregnant women.
"Ang best strategy karon kung naa tay kauban sa balay na dili pa mabakunahan, kaning mga batan-on or kanang mga bedridden nga mga edaran nga dili pa mabakunahan (The best strategy we can do for now is that if we have household members who are stil not allowed to be vaccinated, these include minors or those bedridden elders) is to form a 'cocoon'. Ang tanang adults nga naa sa balay dapat magpabakuna para maprotektahan tong mga dili pa mabakunahan (The adults in the house should have themselves vaccinated to protect those who have not yet been vaccinated),” Roa said.