Public urged to still wear face masks, shields despite vaccination rollout

MANILA, Philippines — Experts are advising the public to continue observing minimum public health standards — including wearing face masks and face shields — even as the country has rolled out its vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a press briefing, Dr. John Wong of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) TWG on Data Analytics underscored that the initial vaccination program of the national government only covers a portion of the population.

This means that health protocols still have to be observed.

“The message to the public is if vaccines are here but it will be a long time before it’s our time — at least for the general population. So the next best thing or the best thing to do is to continue wearing your face mask and face shields. They are as effective as vaccines,” Wong said.

“Adhering to minimum public health standards will keep us safe until it’s our turn in the vaccine,” he added.

This was echoed by Rodley Carza of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Health Promotion Bureau.

“COVID-19 vaccine is just one of the tools that we can use to protect ourselves against COVID-19 so even after vaccination, we still need to practice the minimum public health standards to provide continued protection to yourself but also to your family around you,” Carza said.

Aside from getting vaccinated, other protective measures against COVID-19 include the observance of minimum public health protocols which “can be as effective as the vaccines themselves,” said Carza.

EDV