COVID-19 cases won’t be as high as before even as vaccine protection wanes —expert

Published November 01, 2021 11:34 AM By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO,GMA News

The number of COVID-19 cases in the country will not reach as high as cases in August or September even as the protection from the vaccine wanes, an infectious disease expert said Monday.

In August and September, daily infections in the Philippines were around 20,000.

On Sunday, the Philippines reported only 3,410 COVID-19 cases

, bringing the total to 2,787,276. Of this number, 45,233 are active and 2,698,871 have recovered.

“Ang paniniwala ko dito, magkakagano'n tayo ng mga ganoong kaso because of the waning protection, but I don’t think it’s as high as what we experienced in August or September na napakataas,” Dr. Rontgene Solante said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(I believe that there will be cases because of the waning protection, but I don’t think it will be as high as what we experienced in August or September. That was so high.)

“Because even if nag-wane ‘yan… meron ka pa ring some element of protection na hindi ka maging severe at hindi ka maging hospitalized,” he added.

(Because even if it wanes… there’s still some element of protection that you cannot be a severe case and you will not be hospitalized.)

The Department of Health has previously said that it submitted its letter of intent for the application of the emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration for booster shots and additional doses.

Booster shots are given when immunity is starting to wane off after several months since receiving the vaccine. Additional doses, or the third doses, meanwhile, are given to individuals who cannot mount the appropriate immunity against the sickness.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said the EUA of the vaccines must be amended as it specifically states the number of doses that must be administered to complete the vaccination.

The DOH has also given the go signal for booster and additional shots of COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly within the year.

However, the agency later clarified that the recommendations are only interim recommendations and will still be updated, pending the assessment of the FDA and the recommendation of the World Health Organization. —KG, GMA News

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