Ask vaccinators to show syringe after COVID-19 jab, Duque tells public

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday encouraged the public to ask COVID-19 vaccinators to show them the syringe after inoculation to ensure that they were vaccinated properly.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Duque said the public can take pictures of their syringe after vaccination as a “simple” and “practical” solution to concerns over improper inoculation.

At least three videos have shown that some vaccinators fail to push the plunger after injecting the needle into vaccine recipients, leaving the substance inside the syringe.

“‘Di ba ‘pag inineksyunan ka, ayaw mo makita, takot ka. Pero pwede mo namang sabihan ‘yung nagtuturok sa'yo, ‘yung nurse, ‘Kapag natapos nga, pakita mo sa’kin. Kunan ko lang ng picture ‘yung syringe,’” Duque said.

(Sometimes people are scared to look when they’re getting vaccinated, but they can tell the vaccinator, “When it’s over, can you show me the syringe so I can take a picture?”)

“Isama na natin, gano’n na ‘yung sistema. Hindi naman siguro mahirap gawin ‘yun. Meron ka pang ebidensya pag may nagtanong sa’yo, ‘Nabakunahan ka na ba?’” he added.

(Let’s include that in the system. That’s not hard to do and you’ll also have evidence to show when someone asks you, “Have you been vaccinated?”)

The Department of Health earlier described improper vaccinations as a “clear breach of protocol.”

However, the agency also urged the public not to castigate health workers, describing the incidents as a result of “human error.”

Health authorities also recommended the limiting of vaccinators’ work hours as well as regular staff rotations to prevent mistakes.

The Philippines has vaccinated over 7.5 million individuals as of June 27, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 50 million to 70 million people this year.—AOL, GMA News