Senior worried after getting different brand in second COVID-19 vaccine dose

A senior citizen in Antipolo was worried about receiving a second COVID-19 vaccine dose that was a different brand from his first dose.

According to Mike Enriquez's Monday "24 Oras" report, 71-year-old Anatalio Aregada was vaccinated with Moderna as a first dose in August. But when he returned last month for his second dose, he received Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine.

Worried about the difference, he asked the vaccinator if it was acceptable to mix vaccine brands.

"May tinawagan, lumapit sakin ang doctor parang pinalakas ang loob ko na, 'Okay lang 'yan, sa ibang bansa nagamit na 'yan,'" Aregada narrated.

(The vaccinator called a doctor who tried to ease my anxiety. He said that the practice was done in other countries.)

"Sa loob loob ko, baka ginawa ninyo akong experiment, kaya ayun nasa isip ko e," he added.

(In the back of my mind, they might be using me as an experiment.)

He also wanted to know if the Department of Health had approved mixed doses.

"Gusto ko malaman ng DOH kung tama ba tinurok sa akin na gamot (na magkaiba)," he said.

(I just want DOH to tell me if it is right to be injected with two different doses of vaccines.)

Aregada said that his right arm felt a little numb after his Sinovac shot.

Currently, the national government was still conducting clinical trials for mixing different COVID-19 vaccine brands.

For their part, the Antipolo government said mixing different vaccine brands was not a policy of the DOH.

"Definitely, hindi. Hangga't maaari iniiwasan po natin ito at kami pa rin po sumusunod sa mga polisiya ng DOH at national vaccine operations," said Enrilito Bernardo Jr., who is a member of local disaster risk reduction management of Antipolo, reacting on Aregada's concern.

(Definitely, we are not doing that. We are avoiding this and we are following DOH and NVOC policies.)

Bernardo said human error could have been involved in Aregada's vaccination.

"Kung may pagkukulang, sila po ay binigyan ng karapatang aksyon, (If there are lapses, we will act on it.)," he said.

The Antipolo City health office would also keep an eye on Aregada, Bernardo added.

Dr. Kezia Rosario of the DOH's National Vaccine Operations Center said the incident required the retraining of vaccinators, while the LGU's health office would have to restrategize their inoculation process to prevent similar incidents. — Consuelo Marquez/DVM, GMA News