Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 11) — Amid the high number of people hesitating to get the coronavirus vaccine due to safety concerns, Health Secretary Duque III said on Monday the government is monitoring possible severe side effects after immunization.
He presented the agency’s plans during the Senate inquiry on the COVID-19 vaccination program. Under the post-vaccination monitoring and surveillance, the vaccinated person will be asked to stay for a while to monitor immediate side effects. Medical personnel will also be deployed in the vaccination area to respond to an emergency, such as anaphylactic shock.
“Hindi muna pauuwiin ang mga nabakunahan dahil babantayan muna sila para sa adverse reactions sa loob ng 30 minutes and isang oras,” he said.
[Translation: Those vaccinated will not be allowed to go home right away. We will monitor them for adverse reactions for 30 minutes to one hour.]
Strict post-monitoring will also be conducted at home. An adverse event should be reported to provincial health officers and cascaded to the national epidemiology surveillance units. Duque said patients with severe side effects will get immediate care, and a detailed investigation must be completed within 48 hours.
“Kahit ating sisiguraduhin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga bakuna [Even though we are ensuring to only use safe vaccines], we must be prepared to respond to adverse events,” he said.
Before inoculation, the person will be asked to sign a consent form and watch a video about vaccines.
Duque said the Department of Health and other agencies are restoring vaccine confidence in the aftermath of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia controversy. A recent Pulse Asia survey showed 47% of Filipinos are not willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 while 21% were unsure.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III welcomed the DOH plans.
“If your presentation is as good as your implementation then we will have no problem at all,” he said.
The government aims to vaccinate up to 70 million Filipinos this year.
