Infectious diseases expert backs mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

Infectious diseases and tropical medicine expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Saturday expressed support for a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines.

“Actually, dapat ganoon [mandatory] kasi nakikita naman natin ngayon kung ano ang benefit at advantage ng may bakuna kaysa sa walang bakuna,” Solante said in an interview on "Dobol B TV."

[Vaccination against COVID-19 should be made mandatory as we are seeing now its benefit and advantage.]

“Ang limitations dito sa Pilipinas kaunti pa lang ang bakuna na dumarating kaya meron tayong tinatawag na priority” (However, the Philippines has limited vaccine supply. Thus, we have priority groups), he added.

Likewise, Solante emphasized the need to balance the policy with the COVID-19 vaccines supply to avoid a disorderly vaccination program.

“Ang pagbigay ng mandatory vaccination kailangan ibalanse kung mayroon bang supply. Kasi kung sinabi natin mandatory yan lahat pupunta yan sa vaccination center magkakagulo ‘yan.” 

Solante observes that around 90% of COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.

In his weekly address to the nation last Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte told the police and barangay officials to escort unvaccinated people back to their homes and not let them roam around as “walking spreaders.”

Likewise, the Department of Health on Friday said the tightened quarantine restrictions will apply to all individuals regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government’s inter-agency task force for COVID-19 response acknowledged that the country’s vaccine supply remains scarce, “that’s why it is not the time yet para makapag-impose tayo ng ganitong regulasyon (to impose regulations like this).”

On the other hand, Solante said they observed an increase in COVID-19 patients’ admission in San Lazaro Hospital, but the situation is still “manageable.”

In nearly a week, we observed that the number of admissions was not declining. When the cases declined after the surge, we are admitting around 20 patients, but it rose to 40 or 45 patients, Solante said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Moreover, he said the intensive care unit (ICU) in the said hospital was already expanded to accommodate severe and critical cases.

In general, Solante said, the Philippines is still at moderate risk for COVID-19 infections, despite the detection of more Delta variant cases.

On Friday, the DOH reported 8,562 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest recorded infections for a day since May 28.

This new cases brought the country’s active cases to 61,920, also the highest since May 8; and the nationwide tally to 1,580,824. —LBG, GMA News