DOH calls out doctor allegedly spreading false info on COVID-19 vaccines

The Department of Health denounced Thursday a medical doctor who was allegedly spreading false information about COVID-19 vaccines, calling him irresponsible.

“The DOH condemns health professionals who have been spreading false information regarding life-saving interventions such as COVID-19 vaccines," the agency said in a statement in reaction to a video of a certain Dr. Romeo Quijano who allegedly said that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.

"It is especially irresponsible as the country continues to face the threat of more infectious Delta variant,” it added.

The DOH further said there is a growing number of real world evidence globally which have consistently shown that COVID-19 vaccines have led to significant reductions in hospitalizations and deaths among vaccinated individuals.

"Moreover, despite increases in COVID-19 cases in these countries, the same rate of increase is not seen in hospitalizations and deaths," it added.

The Philippine General Hospital and University of the Philippines College of Medicine also issued a statement assuring the public that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and evidence-based treatment guidelines should always be followed.

"As a community of scholars, we appeal to the public to trust the official statements from the DOH, FDA, WHO, CDC, and professional specialty or physician organizations like the Philippine Medical Association. Any statement from individuals, physicians they may be,  former or retired faculty should be interpreted with caution especially as they are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official stand of the UP College of Medicine," they said.

They added that statements that allude to the dangers of vaccination, promotion of the use of the alternative and repurposed medications that are still under study at the PGH are "irresponsible when made public while claiming previous affiliation with the UP College of Medicine or the national university hospital, the PGH."

Quijano's former colleagues at the UP College of Medicine Pharmacology and Toxicology Department also issued a statement.

"Ang ibinahagi niyang (Quijano) mga pananalita sa panayan ay taliwas sa pananaw at paninindigan ng mga kasalukuyang guro ng departamento. Kami ay sumusuporta sa mga pamamaraan ng paglaban sa COVID-19 na nakabase sa siyensiya at tamang pagkalap at pagpapakahulugan sa mga ebidneisya at impormasyon," they said.

They added that vaccines remain to be the safe and effective method to fight COVID-19 as they urged the public to get inoculated.

Malacañang also warned the public against individuals peddling falsehoods that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful, saying that all COVID-19 vaccines in the country are safe and effective.

“Hindi po totoo ‘yan. Lahat po ng bakuna ay aprubado ng WHO, ng Philippine FDA, at FDA ng iba’t ibang bansa (That is not true. All COVID-19 vaccines are approved by the World Health Organization, our Food and Drug Administration and the FDA of other countries),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“Lahat po ng bakuna ay ligtas at epektibo. Huwag kayo maniwala sa pekeng eksperto. Lahat ng eksperto sa buong mundo ay nagkaisa na ang solusyon sa pandemya ay bakuna (All vaccines are safe and effective. Don’t believe the fake experts. Experts around the world are all in agreement that COVID-19 vaccine is the solution against the  pandemic),” he added.—Llanesca T. Panti/AOL, GMA News