THE PHILIPPINES said it will not stop the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines despite reports of blood clots in some people who received the shots in several countries in Europe.
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“The Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are aware that a few countries in the European Union have recently paused their vaccination campaign with Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca following reports of blood clots in people who received the vaccine.”
“At present, the DOH and FDA emphasize that there is no indication for the Philippines to stop rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines. The DOH, NTF (National Task Force) and FDA are closely coordinating on this matter. The public is assured they will closely monitor all deployed vaccines,” the DOH said.
It said the European Medicine Authority (EMA) has also emphasized that there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions (blood clots), which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine, saying: “The position of EMA’s safety committee PRAC (Pandemic Response Accountability Committee) is that the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is on-going. PRAC is already reviewing all cases of thromboembolic events, and other conditions related to blood clots, reported post-vaccination with Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca.”
The DOH added that “this has been decided as a precautionary measure while they conduct a full investigation to determine causality between the vaccination and the reported adverse events following immunization.”
Following a recent concern raised around thrombotic events, AstraZeneca said it would like to offer its reassurance on the safety of its vaccine based on clear scientific evidence. “Safety is of paramount importance and the Company is continually monitoring the safety of its vaccine,” it said.
It added that a careful review of all available safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the European Union and UK, AstraZeneca has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia, in any defined age group, gender, and batch or in any particular country.
So far across the EU and UK, it said there have been 15 events of DVT and 22 events of pulmonary embolism reported among those given the vaccine, based on the number of cases the Company has received as of March 8. “This is much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed Covid-19 vaccines,” AstraZeneca said.
“Furthermore, in clinical trials, even though the number of thrombotic events was small, these were lower in the vaccinated group. There has also been no evidence of increased bleeding in over 60,000 participants enrolled,” it added.
The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 70 countries across six continents, and with the recent Emergency Use Listing granted by the World Health Organization accelerates the pathway to access in up to 142 countries through the COVAX Facility.
The World Health Organization said there is no link between the shot and an increased risk of developing blood clots and is investigating.
Mayor Beng Climaco, who heads the Zamboanga City Task Force on Covid-19, has repeatedly called on residents to take the vaccine as soon as they are available.
Climaco has already signed a $2 million (or roughly P100 million) deal with AstraZeneca for the local government’s vaccination program that will cover 694,696 residents or 70% of the projected 2021 population of 992,423 inhabitants.
The initial P200 million for the purchase of the vaccines are included in the P4.38-billion 2021 Executive Budget of the local government, according to Climaco, who is also a member of the Committee on Vaccine Availment of the League of Cities of the Philippines.
Climaco said the local government will allocate P100 million more for additional Covid vaccines following talks with US-based Johnson & Johnson. She assured the public that the local government will only use vaccines that are proven safe and effective against the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease.
The local government’s vaccination program, Climaco said, will prioritize healthcare workers, essential and other frontline service providers, and vulnerable populations such as the elderly and poor.
Climaco said the City government is closely coordinating with the national government for the acquisition of more Covid-19 vaccines since Zamboanga is a priority area. “With the emergence of new variants of the virus, we must not let our guards down. We continue to work hard while balancing other functions of government to keep our city safe, restore our vitality as a people, and continuously repair our economy.”
“As Mayor of this City, I vow that we will not stop doing our jobs and we will continue to sincerely serve our City to keep our people safe just as we have always done since 2013. It takes the whole-of-government effort to accomplish this task,” she said.
Dr. Saude Imlan, president of the local chapter of the Philippine Medical Society, has also encouraged residents to avail of the Covid vaccine as soon as it is made available to the public.
Dr. Norvie Jalani, an epidemiologist at the Zamboanga City Medical Center, said: “As an epidemiologist, I have witnessed individuals on ICU without vaccines. Vaccine is still the most effective approach against Covid-19 and other emerging pandemics in the future. Turn hesitancy into empowerment. Trust science, get your vaccines now.”
Dr. Aisa Gregorio, of the Zamboanga City Medical Center, also doused fears of residents to the effects of the Covid-19 vaccine on the body. “Do not be afraid of the vaccination. The vaccination is to prevent the spread of infection,” she said.
Herd Immunity
City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite has said the vaccines will be available by the 3rd quarter of this year, adding, the local government is now working on plans for the mass inoculation following the guidelines from the DOH. “Tene kita guidelines from the DOH, el deaton maga priority groups, con quien kita una man vaccinate and ta mira kita el strategy deaton de que manera hace,” she said, adding, that the local government is targeting at least 70% of the populations in order to reach herd immunity.
“Ta habla gane for Covid, at least 70% del population should be protected to have herd immunity para puede man protect con aquellos maga vulnerable populations deaton. Si tene kita budget and available deaton supplies for the vaccine, actually puede kita man vaccinate more than 70%. Pero ta habla gane kita, at least 70% to be protected for us to have herd immunity,” Miravite explained.
Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity. (Zamboanga Post)
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