2 COVID-19 vaccine doses still protective vs. Delta variant — Duque

Two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine can provide protection even against the more transmissible Delta coronavirus variant first discovered in India, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

The Philippines has so far detected 17 Delta variant cases, all of whom are inbound international travelers or returning overseas Filipinos. 

“Ang maganda naman dito, lumalabas [na] basta kumpletong bakunahan ka, nakadalawa ka, ay mataas pa rin ang proteksyong taglay ng bakuna laban man sa anumang variant, kasama ang Delta variant,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told Super Radyo dzBB.

(What’s good about this is it appears that if you are fully vaccinated, the vaccine can still provide protection against any variant, including the Delta variant.)

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, chief epidemiologist of the DOH, also said that while the effectiveness of vaccines may be reduced by the new variants, the jabs are still protective.

“Potensyal na mas mababawasan ‘yung effectivity pero… effective pa rin po, ‘yun nga lang, kung dating 100%, posibleng bumaba ng 90% lamang ang effectivity,” she explained during a Palace briefing.

(The effectiveness may potentially be reduced but the vaccine is still effective. The effectiveness could just go down to 90% from 100%.)

De Guzman said the Delta variant is now “rapidly” spreading across the globe, appears to be more transmissible, and may be associated with different symptoms, with COVID-19 cases more likely to be hospitalized if they are carrying the new variant.

She assured the public that health authorities continue to strengthen biosurveillance efforts to detect variant cases and urged continued adherence to health protocols against COVID-19 even after vaccination.

Over 6.2 million individuals in the Philippines have been vaccinated as of June 20. The government aims to inoculate 50 million to 70 million people this year. — RSJ, GMA News