Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda on Friday called on the government to vaccinate health care workers this month to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases amid the emergence of a new coronavirus variant from the United Kingdom.
"We have to vaccinate our health care workers early, so that they can save lives without risking their own. We need to prepare for surge capacity at the earliest sign of a real new surge," Salceda said in his statement.
"The main risk is really getting the healthcare system overwhelmed. Because, even if the new strain itself is less serious, if you can’t treat people anymore because you are fully occupied, the risks escalate,” he added.
The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who also co-chairs the economic stimulus cluster of the House Defeat COVID Committee, also issued this recommendation in his aide memoir to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, in which, he said that the month of January "will be critical" in preparing the Philippines' health care system should the new COVID-19 variant reach the country's shores.
Scientists in the UK have expressed alarm after finding out that the new virus variant has had over 20 mutations, and spreads faster than the existing coronavirus strain.
Citing research from his risk science team, Salceda said that, without appropriate interventions and compliance to minimum health standards, the potential surge of new COVID-19 cases could overwhelm the country's health care capacity by February.
"The mutated strain, if it reaches the country -- or if it mutates domestically, on its own -- will undoubtedly increase infectivity. However, if surge capacity can be reactivated at the earliest sign of a new surge, and if [health care workers can be protected from getting infected, the treatment and isolation capacity of the country's health care system has a stronger chance of enduring what could be the final wave before the vaccine rollout," Salceda said in the document.
"It is imperative that be vaccinated by January 2021," he appealed.
Salceda also pushed for the passage of his proposed "Bayanihan sa Bakuna" Act to expedite the procurement, distribution, and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
He said his House Bill No. 8285 would allow the immediate approval of vaccines that were successfully tested on Filipinos abroad.
"Actually, our nurses were among the first to receive the vaccines abroad. Vaccines are tested on specific ethnic or racial background because of variations in immune response along these lines. That need no longer exists if the vaccines have been tested on Filipinos abroad already," he said.
"Vaccines administered successfully to our nurses in Canada and the UK should be leading candidates for procurement, because we already know they work on Filipinos," he added.
Salceda his bill would also mandate government to help the private sector procure, distribute, and administer vaccines by liberalizing the grant of incentives for such efforts, and facilitating their applications to import such vaccines.
Earlier in December, President Duterte disclosed that several people in government, including soldiers, have already been immunized against COVID-19 ahead of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of any coronavirus vaccine.
Duterte has repeatedly vowed to prioritize soliders, policemen and uniformed personnel in his administration's upcoming vaccination program.