DOH assures public of vaccines' efficacy amid Indonesia problem

The Department of Health assured the public on Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are effective, especially in preventing severe infection and hospitalization, after vaccinated health workers in Indonesia reportedly got infected with the novel coronavirus.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said real-world studies show that COVID-19 vaccines available in the Philippines are effective. 

“Let’s get the vaccine, let us not be doubtful... ‘Yan pong mga bakuna ang isa sa mga susi para malabanan po natin itong pandemya (Vaccines are one of the keys to fight the pandemic),” she said in a briefing.

On Monday, Reuters reported that more than 350 Indonesian health workers who got the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine fell ill with COVID-19, dozens of whom were hospitalized.

Vergeire urged caution in interpreting the report.

We cannot deny that there really are "breakthrough infections,” she said, referring to COVID-19 cases after vaccination.

“Pero kailangan pa rin po nating malaman ang kumpletong datos para atin pong ma-analyze maigi (But we need to get all the data so we can analyze it thoroughly).”

Vergeire said it was important to know the number of healthcare workers in Indonesia to ascertain the effectiveness of the Sinovac shot there.

She said that while new coronavirus variants may have some impact on available COVID-19 vaccines, the jabs still offer protection.

Over 5 million individuals have been vaccinated as of June 14, more than 1.4 million of whom are health workers. —LBG, GMA News