What would the Philippines' vaccination program against COVID-19 look like once it is implemented?
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday, January 11, explained before the Senate Committee of the Whole how the national government would inoculate Filipinos once vaccines are available in the country.
The government is eyeing to start in February the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in various parts of the country, with vaccinations to commence on the third or fourth week, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. told senators.
Duque said under the "National Deployment and Vaccination Plan", which serves as an "end-to-end" guide for implementors of the immunization program, the inoculation will follow the model of the Commission of Elections for the country's polls.
Health facilities will be designated as vaccination sites where people would go to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.
There are 4,512 identified vaccination sites across the country to date, Duque said.
At least three vaccination teams -- comprised of six doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals or volunteers -- will be allowed for each vaccination post depending on the needs of the area.
Each patient will be assigned to one vaccination team who will record, screen, administer the vaccines and monitor them and their condition thereafter.
Duque said they are targeting to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to at least 100 patients per vaccination team per day.
Poll-like vaccinations
Like the elections, Duque said digital technology will also be used to register, record and monitor those who will be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), will create an online platform that would generate a masterlist of eligible population. Duque said health care workers, frontliners and vulnerable sector of the population should be prioritized.
Before the vaccinations, the vaccinees will be asked to pre-register so they will be given a vaccination schedule, and a QR code to be presented in the vaccination sites.
Duque said this is part of the crowd control measures to prevent congestion and ensure compliance to minimum public health standards.
At the vaccination site, the vaccinees will also be asked to submit documentary requirements, which include health declaration forms, consent forms, among others.
The next step will involve a pre-vaccination health education, wherein those to be vaccinated will undergo counseling about the vaccine that will be injected to them. Duque said they could also ask about the possible side effects of the vaccine before they give their final consent to the immunization.
The vaccinees will then undergo another screening process, where they would be asked about their medical history and other relevant information. Patients should complete a "checklist" to qualify for the vaccination, the DOH chief said.
After completing the requirements, the patients will proceed to the vaccination area, where they will be administered a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Duque said an "immunization card" will be given to them to record details of their vaccination, including the date of the vaccination, and the number of doses they have received.
Adverse events
Duque said those who were vaccinated will be asked to stay in the vaccination site for at least 30 minutes to one hour so they can be observed and attended to for possible "adverse reactions" to the vaccines.
He said this was another reason why vaccination sites are within health facilities "upang mabilisang mabigyan ng atensyong medikal ang nabakunahan kung magkaroon ng matinding reaction katulad ng (so that they will be given immediate medical attention if there are severe reactions like) anaphylactic shock."
Once cleared, the vaccinees will be given instructions about their succeeding inoculation and the monitoring of possible reactions to the vaccine.
Duque said that "serious" reactions to the vaccine will be part of their assessment and evaluation. These should be reported to the provincial, regional and national epidemiology and surveillance units within 48 hours to investigate whether or not these effects are related to the COVID-19 vaccines.
If the effects are "considered to be minor, or not serious", Duque said investigations and causality assessments will no longer required.
Planning with LGUs
Duque said a "microplanning" and coordination with LGUs would also be critical in the implementation of the government's immunization plan.
The microplanning with LGUs, he said, will make sure that implementation is not only "right" but also "appropriate" for the needs of people in every areas.
Duque said that before its actual rollout, simulation activities and pilot implementation will be conducted, focus on areas with high number of novel coronavirus infections.