DOH on vaccination error: ‘Let’s not crucify the healthcare worker’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is appealing for the public’s understanding for the healthcare worker who failed to inject the COVID-19 vaccine to a woman who was due to receive the shot.

“Hinihingi po natin ang pang-unawa ng ating mga kababayan. Let us not try to crucify the healthcare worker. Nagkakamali po tayong lahat,” DOH Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press briefing on Tuesday.

(We are asking for the understanding of the public. Let us not try to crucify the healthcare worker. We commit mistakes as well.)

Vergeire said what is important is that the mistake was immediately rectified and the woman who was supposed to get the jab was eventually vaccinated.

She also stressed that healthcare workers have long been working at the frontlines to end the pandemic.

“They are doing work Monday to Sunday and eight hours or more in a day. Pero ang sinasabi din namin (But what we are saying) is this doesn’t also justify what happened because talaga namang hindi tama ‘yung nangyari (what happened was not right),” Vergeire added.

Nevertheless, Vergeire advised healthcare workers to always be cautious and follow protocols when administering vaccines.

“Para sa ating healthcare workers, kailangan lagi tayong aware, kailangan lagi tayong cautious, kailagan diligent tayo sa pagsunod sa mga protocols. Dapat aware din kayo sa estado ng inyong katawan,” she said.

(To healthcare workers, always be aware and cautious and diligent to follow the protocols. You should also be aware of the status of your body.)

Show the syringe

To be sure, vaccinees can also request healthcare workers to show them the syringe before and after the inoculation, according to Vergeire. She added that local government units should also strictly monitor the vaccination hubs in their areas.

Administrative protocols may also be set up to prevent similar incidents from happening, said Vergeire.

“We can do administrative protocols, katulad ng let’s limit the time of healthcare workers to just specific to eight hours. Huwag natin palagpasin. Magkaroon tayo ng pagpapalit or rotation, para makapagpahinga rin at nagkakaroon ng lesser mistakes ang ating healthcare workers,” she said.

(We can do administrative protocols, such as limiting the working hours of healthcare workers to just eight hours. Let’s not let them work overtime. Let’s implement rotation in work so they can rest and commit less mistakes.)

Makati Mayor Abby Binay also earlier called for the public’s understanding for the volunteer nurse. She said the woman who was supposed to receive the vaccine asked that the healthcare worker be retained in her post despite the “human error.”

EDV