MANILA – National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Saturday that the government is working hard with vaccine experts to ensure that all Covid-19 vaccines are safe for public usage.
“All vaccines that we procured have the recommendation of our Vaccine Expert Panel. While different vaccine types have different efficacy rates against the Delta variant, all of them, including Sinovac, are working and effective based on real-world data,” Galvez, who is also the vaccine czar, said in a statement.
Galvez cited admission data from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that the unvaccinated Covid-19 patients have a higher probability of developing severe symptoms.
Galvez said that according to the statistics as of Aug. 26, some 66 of the 280 adult coronavirus patients are in serious condition, with 21 of them intubated and on life support.
He said that 55 of those needing critical treatment are unvaccinated.
“While fully-vaccinated individuals can still get infected, none of them are intubated or on life support. This is real-world evidence from our hospital here in the country, majority of Covid-19 admissions and critical patients are unvaccinated,” he said.
Galvez stated that all vaccines, regardless of brands, have been thoroughly “scrutinized and vetted” for safety and efficacy, and that vaccine experts are guiding the government on how to implement the required measures to guarantee the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program runs smoothly.
“The national government and expert groups remain vigilant and transparent in assuring the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines,” he added.
Based on the NTF vaccination tracker, the Philippines has provided approximately 32 million Covid-19 shots, with over 13.5 million receiving full protection against the disease.
