Health experts on Friday, Aug. 27, said that Filipinos should not feel discouraged from getting vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) despite the occurrence of vaccine breakthrough infections.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines vaccine breakthrough infections as "the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNa or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person at least 14 days after they have completed all recommended doses of an emergency use authorized COVID-19 vaccine."
"Ineexpect natin 'yung breakthrough infection pero hindi lahat tayo magkakaroon niyan at 'yung bakuna ay makaka-protect sa atin sa severe COVID (We expect breakthrough infections but not all of us get that and the vaccine can protect us from severe COVID)," Department of Health-Knowledge Management Information Systems Director Dr. Eric Tayag said in a virtual forum organized by the University of the Philippines.
"Ang breakthrough infection ay hindi po dahilan kung bakit hindi kayo magpabakuna. Magpabakuna po kayo para may proteksyon po kayo at ang mga mahal ninyo sa buhay (Breakthrough infection is not a reason why you should not get vaccinated. Get vaccinated so that you and your loved ones are protected," he added.
In the case of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Hospital Infection Control Unit head Dr. Regina Berba said 130 PGH health care workers or 71 percent had breakthrough infections from May to August 2021.
Among the COVID-19 patients currently admitted at PGH, Berba said the majority of the critical patients are unvaccinated. "No completely vaccinated COVID-19 patients are critically intubated," she pointed out.
Meanwhile, raw data from the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) showed a 6.3-percent breakthrough infection among the hospital's healthcare personnel from June 1, 2021, to Aug. 22, 2021.
"This should not discourage people from getting vaccinated. It protects patients from getting severe, critical, or even landing in the hospital. At least it protects you from death," Dr. Benilda Galvez, retired manager of the LCP's Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Department, said.
"Although breakthrough infections are a reality, it protects you from getting severe and going to the hospital," she added.
Tayag emphasized that breakthrough infections can be managed as he urged the public to get vaccinated.
"Malaking halaga po ang binibigay nating premium sa pagbakuna dahil malaki ang pagbaba ng mga namamatay sa mga nagkasakit (We give a significant amount of premium for vaccination against COVID because the number of deaths among those who get sick has greatly decreased)," he said.
He also encouraged the public to get their vaccine information from credible sources.
"Dapat very clear natin i-set 'yung expectations. What we're really trying to do is to reduce the risk na hindi tayo kailangan magpa-admit, maging critical, mangailangan ng oxygen, should we come down with COVID-19. Malaking bagay kasi nakakatakot talagang ma-ospital (We must set our expectations very clearly. What we're trying to do is to reduce the risk that we don't have to be admitted, be critical, need oxygen, should we come down with COVID-19. The vaccine is a huge help because it's terrifying to be hospitalized)," Berba said.