Amid apprehensions, solon urges healthcare workers to get COVID-19 shots

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of worrying about contracting COVID-19, healthcare workers should consider getting inoculated against the disease, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan urged healthcare workers to still consider getting inoculated with Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine, saying they should focus on published data and advice from experts.

Tan, a doctor by profession and the first lawmaker to get inoculated with Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine, said that getting vaccinated will help ease worries of healthcare workers.

“Ako din personally, ine-encourage ko rin naman yung ating mga healthcare workers na instead na parang laging nagwo-worry sila na everyday papasok ng opisina o sa trabaho na wala man lamang kahit isang protection—although we use yung mga PPEs (personal protective equipment)—but at least yung panlaban sa katawan meron,” Tan said during the Ugnayan sa Batasan press briefing.

(I personally encourage our healthcare workers that instead of worrying about going to work everyday without protection—although we use PPEs—at least we can have protection through the vaccine.)

“Now na may available na [vaccine na] ibinibigay, baka pwedeng ma-consider nila,” she added.

(Now that there is an available vaccine, hopefully they can consider it.)

Tan said healthcare workers should focus on published data and pronouncements of experts in the country in their decision on whether they would like to receive Sinovac shots or not.

The lawmaker also called on barangay healthcare workers (BHWs) to get vaccinated since receiving COVID-19 shots will help the country achieve herd immunity at the soonest possible time.

“Ine-encourage natin especially the barangay health workers [to get vaccinated]—kung talagang ibaba na outside Metro Manila o sa mga cities natin para sa mga barangay health workers natin—ay wala naman silang ganoon na close contact everyday sa COVID positive,” Tan said during the Ugnayan sa Batasan press briefing.

(We are encouraging, especially our barangay health workers, to get vaccinated. Once the program rolls out outside Metro Manila or in our cities for our BHWs, they can grab the opportunity since they have less close contact with COVID-19 patients on a daily basis.)

“Pwede nating i-grab ito nang sa ganun ay dumami na yung mga Pilipino na makakapag-develop ng immunity at ‘yung inaasahan natin na herd immunity na ibibigay ng vaccine ay the soonest possible, as we go along with the rollout of the program, ay ma-achieve natin,” she added.

(They can grab this opportunity so that more Filipinos could develop immunity and we can achieve herd immunity provided by the vaccine at the soonest possible time.)

Nonetheless, Tan underscored that getting vaccinated is voluntary and that she understands the apprehensions of healthcare workers especially with the earlier pronouncement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it is not recommending the administration of the vaccine to healthcare workers and senior citizens.

The government’s Covid-19 vaccination program kicked off on Monday after receiving 600,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, which were donated by the Chinese government.

JE