Philippine Heart Association head urges hypertensive, people with heart diseases to get COVID-19 jab

The president of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) on Wednesday urged persons with heart diseases and hypertension to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Sa ngayon, wala pang matibay na ebidensya na nagsasabing ang pagpapabakuna laban sa COVID-19 ay may masamang epekto sa mga pasyente o mga may high blood,” Dr. Orly Bugarin said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(So far, there are no hard evidence yet that shows COVID-19 vaccines have adverse effects on people with high blood pressure.)

“Talagang ine-encourage pa rin namin ang ating mga kababayan  na puwede kayong magpabakuna kahit kayo ay may hypertension o mga tinatawag na cardiovascular diseases,” he added.

(We really encourage our countrymen to get vaccinated even if they are diagnosed with hypertension or what we call cardiovascular diseases.)

The PHA president said cardiovascular conditions are not contraindications in getting COVID-19 vaccines -- a statement supported by Dr. Alejandro Diaz, a neurologist from St. Luke's Medical Center.

In the same briefing, Diaz cited information from the Department of Health's (DOH) Resbakuna Program that vaccines could still be given to people despite their hypertension.

However, according to Diaz, this information is not being cascaded to some vaccinators.

"Nakita ko 'yan sa isang TV feed eh, na mataas ang BP hindi nila bibigyan [ng bakuna]. Hindi tama 'yun. 'Yung may mga hypertension is not a contraindication para hindi bigyan ng COVID 19 vaccine," Diaz said.

[I saw on TV that vaccinators are rejecting those with high BP. That is not corrrect. Hypertension is not a contraindication for one person not to be given COVID 19 vaccine.]

Diaz said a patient with hypertension should not be told to go home but instead to wait for their hypertension to subside.

"On that very rare occasion that a patient's hypertension is not decreasing, that is the time when the vaccination could be rescheduled," Diaz said.

"The benefit of the COVID-19 vaccination outweighs whatever that small risk is," he added.

Bugarin, meanwhile, explained that some patients may experience high blood pressure before they get vaccinated due to nervousness or the patient did not take his regular medicines.

Patients who have blood pressure of 180/120 and are exhibiting symptoms of their heart conditions should be checked before getting inoculated, Bugarin advised.

He also reminded patients to make sure they take their maintenance medications two weeks prior to their vaccination schedule. Patients are also asked to refrain from smoking, drinking coffee, taking pain relievers and medicines for colds.

Persons with comorbidities such as heart diseases are third on the list of government’s priorities in the vaccination program.

The vaccination rollout in the country will start with frontline health workers, followed by indigent senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel.

So far, 129,897 individuals in the A3 category or persons with comorbidity already got COVID-19 vaccine.  —KBK, GMA News