Pag-amyenda ng EUA para sa booster shots ng OFWs asahan ngayong linggo

MAYNILA— Inaasahan na maaamyendahan na ng Food and Drug Administration ngayong linggo ang emergency use authorization (EUA) ng ilang COVID-19 vaccines para magamit na rin bilang booster sa overseas Filipino workers (OFW) na mangingibang bansa sa loob ng 4 na buwan.

Iyan ay matapos aprubahan ng Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases ang naturang polisiya.

“The amendment is very easy. We can execute it maybe this week. The amendment is we will include the OFW in the A1 list that they have recommended,” sabi ni vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

• Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Pero sa apela ng pribadong sektor na payagan na ang mga kumpanyang gamitin ang binili nilang COVID-19 vaccines bilang booster sa mga empleyado kahit hindi bahagi ng unang tatlong priority groups, nanawagan si Galvez na mag-antay muna.

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“The problem with the vaccination of the private sector, it will eat up and dominate the vaccination sites and it will compromise the safety of those first dosers and second dosers. I believe we have to wait,” ani Galvez .

Inaasahan niyang sa susunod na taon pa ito masisimulan lalo’t wala pa sa kalahati ng kabuuang populasyon ang nabakunahan na laban sa COVID-19, kabilang aniya ang 40 porsiyento ng senior citizens sa bansa.

“We believe it is really moral and mandatory that we finish first those 70 million that have no jabs yet. We need to prioritize those who are more vulnerable, not having the shot, because when the surge comes. They will be the one giving the burden of deaths and disease and also hospitalization in our different hospital facilities," sabi ng kalihim. 

“There are still 70 million people who have not yet received the first dose. I believe it is important for the government to prioritize first those people. The risk of those people who have not yet (received) the jab, it’s much much greater," dagdag niya. 

Maaalalang umapela na ang pribadong sektor na gamitin ang mga stock ng bakuna bilang booster shots ng mga empleyado. Noon nang nagpaalala ang Department of Health (DOH) na hindi pa puwedeng ibigay ito sa mga empleyado ng pribadong kompanya sa ngayon.

Dapat munang mabigyang-prayoridad sa pagbabakuna ang mga hindi pa nababakunahan ng kahit isang dose ng COVID-19 vaccines, ayon kay Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. 

“Our policy continues that we would much rather provide the first dose to the unvaccinated, more than the booster. Science has it that the protection the population gets by inoculating everyone rather than doing boosting is going to be much higher and a much more sound policy. So mas importante talaga una natin mabigyan ang lahat ng Pilipino ng kanilang primary series," aniya. 

NATIONAL COVID-19 VACCINATION DAYS

Habang palapit ang tatlong araw na national COVID-19 vaccination days, patuloy ang panawagan ng gobyerno na mag-volunteer na tumulong sa pag-rollout ng bakuna sa mga araw na ito. 

Target ng gobyerno na magkaroon ng nasa 30,000 vaccination teams nationwide na may tig-lima hanggang anim na miyembro, para magbakuna ng kabuuang 15 milyong doses sa loob ng tatlong araw, mula Nov. 29 hanggang Dec. 1.

“Ongoing. But there has been a substantial listing of these volunteers,” sabi ni Duque.

“We will be needing more volunteers. The President already called on the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), PNP (Philippine National Police), and the DepEd (Department of Education) and CHED (Commission on Higher Education). The private sector is also helping us,” dagdag ni Galvez.

Aniya nasa higit 400 sites mula sa pribadong sektor ang gagamitin sa national vaccination days, bukod pa sa mga inihanda ng national at local governments.

Tutulong din ang AFP at PNP sa pagdadala ng mga residente sa mga bakunahan at sa pagbabahay-bahay. 

“The AFP and the PNP will also be going around the different houses, house-to-house and barangay-to-barangay. The president also directed the provincial governors and mayors to do their part on actively going around their constituents,” sabi ni Galvez. 

Paalala naman ni Duque na sulitin ang panahon para magpabakuna. 

“This protection is going to be key to opening up larger segments of our economy and to bring back jobs and reverse the hunger rate," ani Duque. 

Inaasahang magkakaroon ng opening ceremony para sa national vaccination days sa Masinag, Rizal.

Rekomendasyon ng National Task Force against COVID-19 na gawing working holiday ang tatlong araw na national COVID vaccination days. Pero ayon kay Galvez papayagang magpabakuna at tumulong sa pagbabakuna ang mga empleyado nang hindi mamamarkahan bilang absent.

“It’s a working holiday, but they will not be marked absent if they go our for the vaccination. That will be respected. They still have to go back to work,” sabi ni Duque.

PANDEMYA, CONTAINED NA? 

Kung magtutuloy-tuloy ang mababang bilang ng nagkaka-COVID sa Pilipinas, hihingi ng gabay ang DOH sa World Health Organization (WHO) kung puwede nang ideklara na “controlled” o “contained” ang pandemya sa bansa, ayon sa ahensiya.

“Positivity rate yesterday was 2.3. For 2 weeks, we hope to have a positivity rate lower than 5 percent, and we will ask the guidance of WHO if we can already declare that the COVID pandemic in the Philippines has been controlled or contained,” ani Duque. 

Pero dapat pa rin anilang tumulong sa pagsunod sa minimum health protocols tulad ng pagsusuot ng face mask at physical distancing para maiwasan ang muling pagsipa ng mga kaso ng COVID-19. 

“We should avoid the 3Cs. We avoid the closed spaces, the crowded areas and the close contact settings. Or if you cannot help it, then wear your face shield. It’s an extra layer of protection,” sabi ni Duque.

“Look at Western Europe, July 19 they announced freedom day, they removed the masking mandate. So now they’re on their 4th or 5th wave. Do we want to go the way of these countries?” dagdag niya.

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