MALACAÑANG ON Wednesday thumbed down the antibody testing after individuals get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Again, it’s a medical and scientific question,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press conference when quizzed if the Palace encourages the use of antibody tests to know whether a vaccinated individual already has Covid-19 antibodies.
While Roque acknowledged the amount of antibodies will be determined through an antibody test, he said this will not give any individual a guarantee that they will no longer catch Covid-19.
“So, you know, you can measure antibodies but knowing that you have antibodies is not a guarantee you will no longer have the disease,” he said.
The Department of Health has urged the public not to take an antibody test after the Covid-19 vaccination to check their level of protection from the coronavirus.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on June 2 said a negative antibody test “does not mean that the Covid-19 vaccine did not work.”
Vergeire also guaranteed that all vaccines being administered in the country have undergone a “rigorous” regulator process to ensure that they are “safe and effective” against Covid-19.
She likewise reminded vaccinated individuals to continue observing the minimum public health standards to keep them safe against Covid-19.
Health experts, during the recent House of Representatives health committee hearing, also stressed that antibody testing may not be the best way to measure the level of protection of a vaccinated person.
Experts also warned that testing for antibodies may only sow confusion.
As of June 27, a total of 10,065,414 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered nationwide.
Around 7,538,128 individuals have received the first Covid-19 vaccine shot, while the remaining 2,527,286 have been fully vaccinated.(Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)
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