(FILE PHOTO) Infectious Disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante during the Laging Handa press briefing. Screengrab from PCOO / Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Bivalent coronavirus vaccines from the global COVAX facility would give locals, especially the vulnerable population, “higher” protection against the severe effects of COVID-19, an infectious disease expert and adviser of the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, chair of San Lazaro Hospital’s adult infectious diseases and tropical medicine unit and a DOH expert panel member, said these vaccines would provide “longer and broader” protection against the severe COVID-19 symptoms “for a longer time.”
“Napatunayan sa mga data na itong bagong vaccine na bivalent will protect us from most of the subvariant of Omicron ranging from the BA.1, BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5, including yung tinatawag natin na yung XBB.1, XBB.5 na naireport na rin dito sa Philippines,” Solante said Wednesday over Laging Handa.
(Based on proven data, this new bivalent vaccine will protect us from most of the subvariant of Omicron, such as from the BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5, including what we call the XBB.1, XBB.5, which has also been reported here in the Philippines.)
On Tuesday, the DOH disclosed that the first batch of the donated bivalent vaccines is set to arrive in the country in three to four weeks after the Food and Drug Administration has allowed the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
According to DOH, 1,002,000 doses of the bivalent vaccines from COVAX are expected to arrive. They will be administered initially to the priority individuals — healthcare workers, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities.
Solante said the bivalent vaccines might be administered four months after receiving the primary COVID-19 vaccine doses.
He hopes the public would be willing to get inoculated to maintain their protection and the lowering number of COVID-19 cases.
Moreover, Solante said he agrees with DOH’s plan to place regions with no disease cases to Alert Level 0.
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