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DOH EXEC SAYS VACCINES WON'T GIVE IMMUNITY

Vaccinated OFW from UAE tests positive for COVID-19


A returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from the United Arab Emirates has contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, a Health official said Thursday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, DOH 7 spokesperson Mary Jean Loreche said the OFW returned home on January 5 after receiving two COVID-19 vaccine doses on December 12, 2020 and January 2 this year.

The OFW tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing standard quarantine and testing procedures for returning overseas Filipinos.

Five of the seven family members of the OFW also tested positive for the virus and are now under isolation.

“Alam naman po natin ang isang tao kahit nabigyan na ng bakuna, hindi naman po ito garantiya na ikaw ay magkakaroon na ng immunity,” Loreche said.

“Ang epekto ng bakuna ay to prevent a severe disease. Kung ikaw ay nabakunahan at magkakaroon ka man ng COVID, hindi po ikaw magiging grabe. Hindi ka ipapasok sa intensive care unit,” she added.

Loreche said the OFW’s story highlights the “success” of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Wala rin po siyang sintomas from the time na dumating to the time na-swab at lumabas ang resulta. Hanggang ngayon wala pong nararamdaman ang ating kababayan,” she said.

The DOH official added that it remains to be proven if COVID-19 vaccines can prevent transmission.

“Sa mga datos ng mga bakuna natin… it can prevent severe disease, it can prevent clinical disease. Pero to prevent transmission, hindi po clear cut ‘yan kaya hindi po natin masasabi na ikaw, kung nabakunahan ka, hindi ka na makakahawa,” she said.

The Philippines is set to start vaccinating health workers in February but Malacañang said there is still no delivery date for the 117,000 doses from Pfizer-BioNTech due to concerns on indemnification.—AOL, GMA News


 

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