AGONCILLO, Batangas – When Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III went to this town to lead the COVID vaccination roll-out here on July 5, there was a sense of security among the residents of this 4th class municipality.
Unfortunately, doubts have again started to creep into the minds of locals when a 51-year-old woman recently tested positive for the dreaded virus as confirmed by the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Agoncillo.
That same though woman got only her initial dose of vaccine which was administered by no less than Duque when the secretary led the ceremonial jab here.
Dr. Richard Landicho, Municipal Health Officer, said the latest COVID victim is one of the Taal evacuees who were tested using antigen test kits and not the RT-PCR which is considered the gold standard for COVID testing.
Contact tracing though has been done on all her contacts and all of them turn negative in antigen test.
Vaccination acceptance remains at a very low level in far flung areas and even in urban communities due to reports of people still being infected with the virus, a few of them were able to get complete doses the vaccine.
"Parang lalo akong natatakot magpaturok ngayon at nadami na pala ang nagkaka-COVID kahit nabakunahan na.(I am getting more afraid now of getting vaccinted as there are more of those who were inoculated but are still getting infected after vaccination)," Lola Jacinta told Manila Bulletin in an interview.
Lola Imelda Laroza of Brgy. Gulod, in Laurel town, also in Batangas said that she would take more precautions by herself instead of getting vaccinated for fear of side effects and being infected of the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health has been consistent in their explanation that getting jabbed does not mean total immunity from COVID.
Most breakthrough infections occur before the second dose due to partial protection, but even after both doses are given, some people can get COVID-19. The risk of death from a breakthrough infection in a vaccinated person is miniscule compared to natural infection in an unvaccinated patient.