PhilHealth to tackle protocol for compensation of vaccine recipients suffering from side effects

MANILA, Philippines — Board members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will come up with protocols on Thursday in providing indemnity to people who may experience adverse reactions to the Covid-19 vaccines, its president Dante Gierran said.

“Inaaral natin yan. Just as ang DOH [Department of Health] po ay inaaral rin yung protocols on the anti Covid vaccination, inaaral din ngayon ng PhilHealth ang mga pakete para pag nagkaroon ng adverse effect ang bakuna, ay andyan tayo tumulong,” Gierran said Monday in a televised briefing.

(We are studying that. Just as how the DOH is studying the protocols on the anti Covid vaccination, PhilHealth is also studying packages that will help those who may experience adverse effects of the vaccines.)

“As a matter of fact, this coming Thursday, idi-discuss yan sa board (the board will discuss that),” he added.

Asked if PhilHealth has funds to compensate vaccine recipients, Gierran said the agency has “reserved funds” for this.

“You are asking me a hypothetical question. But I’ll give you a mix [of] hypothetical answer also and partly actual. Sinasabi ko nga, meron tayong pera. Meron tayong reserved fund for that. Pag di kaya ng budget natin, meron tayong reserved fund,” Gierran said.

(You are asking me a hypothetical question. But I’ll give you a mix hypothetical answer also and partly actual. We have funds. We have reserved funds for that. If our budget cannot shoulder it, we have reserved funds.)

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier suggested that PhilHealth manage the proposed indemnity fund for Covid-19 vaccine adverse effects.

A bill has been filed in the Senate seeking to establish a vaccine indemnity fund to compensate recipients who will experience side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Vaccines coming from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility faced delays as its indemnity agreement with the national government remained pending.

EDV