LAOAG CITY, Feb 28 (PIA) - - A public health expert explains to Ilokanos that vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are safe and effective.
Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, guested in the online forum of the state-run hospital Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City dubbed “E-Pakaammo (E-Inform)”.
With vaccines being a global priority, the public has mixed reactions on the availability of COVID-19 vaccines questioning its efficacy and safety for the people. But the health expert cites the role of vaccination in saving lives from diseases over the years.
“Not being vaccinated is going to be a disservice to our country because we do need to survive in this pandemic,” Bravo said during the virtual forum.
She added that 70 percent herd immunity is needed to achieve resistance to COVID-19.
“Did you know that 70 percent of our population are all 18 and above (years old). Thirty percent of our population are below 18. That means, to be able to get a herd immunity, the vaccinated people will be able to protect the unvaccinated which will most likely be the children,” Bravo added.
Although there might be side effects, but health experts say these are just common. For Bravo, “the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks, and many more COVID illnesses and deaths would occur without vaccination.”
In anticipation of the formal vaccination roll-out in the country, MMMHMC has started to ramp up its inoculation simulation exercise with at least 50 health workers.
“This way, we could determine opportunities on how to be more systematic during the actual vaccination,” Dr. Gretchen Ranada, MMMHMC’s public health unit head, said.
On one hand, Dr. Ma Lourdes Otayza, MMMHMC’s Medical Center Chief, noted that almost 100 percent of the hospital’s workforce are interested to be vaccinated. (JCR/VHS/MJTAB, PIA ILOCOS NORTE)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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