Ted Herbosa – Author Carlo Carrasco

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for general population allowed

August 10, 2023August 6, 2023carlocarrasco

More patients around the country can avail of the bivalent vaccines for COVID-19 as a result of the Department of Health’s (DOH) revision of its guidelines, according to a Manila Times news report. This developed as less than 50% of the initial batch of bivalent vaccines have been used on patients limited to health care workers and senior citizens.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Times report. Some parts in boldface…

THE general population can now be administered with Covid-19 bivalent vaccine after the Department of Health (DoH) issued revised guidelines on the updated jab.

A bivalent vaccine protects against both the original virus that causes Covid-19 and the Omicron variants.

In a memorandum dated July 10 but was released to the public only this week, the DoH said those under the A3 group, meaning persons with comorbidities and compromised immunity, can now receive the Pfizer bivalent vaccine in hospitals and health facilities nationwide.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa added that the general public can also avail of bivalent vaccine, noting their decision stemmed from the slow consumption of the updated jab among the A1 (health care workers) and A2 (senior citizen) subgroups. He said only 38 percent of the 391,000 donated doses allotted for these groups were used.

“Because of that, we have decided to make it available to those who want to get vaccinated with the booster. We only decided on this last week as the uptake was slow,” Herbosa said in Filipino and English in a radio interview.

The government’s stock of donated bivalent vaccines are set to expire on July 31, with an extension date of August 30.

Herbosa said a person can only receive a bivalent vaccine four to six months after getting the second booster dose.

He added that the government is negotiating with the global Covax Facility for additional bivalent vaccine doses.

Pfizer, Herbosa said, has issued a certificate of product registration that would make the vaccine available in drugstores across the country, but the lack of local cold chain storage proves to be a hindrance.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there many people in your local community who have been wanting to get immunized with the bivalent vaccines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Health Secretary to recommend lifting of COVID-19 public health emergency nationwide

June 28, 2023June 26, 2023carlocarrasco

It has been more than three years since a national emergency was declared in response to COVID-19 and in a recent ambush interview, new Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa said he would recommend the lifting of the nation’s emergency, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Monday that he would recommend lifting the country’s COVID-19 state of public health emergency.

In an ambush interview, Herbosa stressed that COVID-19 no longer posed an emergency and could be treated as any other disease that the Department of Health (DOH) monitors, like influenza, cough, and cold.

“Actually, wala nang emergency eh, ‘di ba? (there is no longer an emergency). I think I would actually ask the lifting of the public health emergency in the country,” he said.

Then-President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

Under Proclamation 922, the state of public health emergency would remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President.

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 no longer represented a global health emergency.

Herbosa, however, said that the alert level system would remain.

“The alert level system will stay because that’s a system like the typhoon signal that stays. But actually hindi na siya (that’s no longer a) public health emergency. Wala nang (there’s no) public health emergency,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you believe that COVID-19 itself is no longer the tremendous health problem it used to be?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: DOH Secretary says bivalent vaccines are effective against Omicron FE.1

June 26, 2023June 21, 2023carlocarrasco

As the issuance of bivalent vaccines for COVID-19 is going on nationwide, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa announced that the said vaccines are effective against the newest Omicron subvariant FE.1, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines remain to be an effective tool to protect people against the recently detected Omicron subvariant FE.1, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Wednesday.

During the rollout of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines, the newly appointed chief of the Department of Health (DOH) was asked if the bivalent jabs are also effective against the FE.1, which is a sublineage of the Omicron XBB subvariant.

“Yes. Generally, because this is still Omicron and nilagay na ‘yung Omicron doon sa bivalent vaccine, meron nang cross immunity ‘yan kasi ‘yung mga antigens pareho lang even if it’s a different subvariant. Hindi mahihinto ‘yan,” Herbosa said.

(Yes. Generally, because this FE.1 is still Omicron, and the Omicron has been put in the bivalent vaccine. There is already cross immunity because the antigens are the same even if it’s a different subvariant. It won’t stop.)

The first case of FE.1 or XBB.1.18.1.1 was found in the genome sequencing conducted on May 29 to June 12, 2023, based on DOH’s latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report.

The DOH said FE.1 was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on June 1, 2023, and was initially flagged “for its increasing global prevalence,” being detected in 35 countries so far.

The agency, however, stressed that currently available evidence for the subvariant does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original Omicron variant.

While admitting that he is yet to familiarize with the characteristics of the FE.1, Herbosa said it may also exhibit the same symptoms as those with other Omicron subvariants.

“If you have upper respiratory symptoms [like] sipon, sore throat, ubo, ‘yan ang most common. Occasionally, kagaya sa Arcturus, meron sore eyes. Itong FE.1 I don’t know if ‘yun o pareho lang. Ma-identify dapat ng genetic studies,” he added.

(If you have upper respiratory symptoms like cold, sore throat, and cough, those are the most common symptoms. Occasionally, like Arcturus, there could be sore eyes. I don’t know if it’s the same with FE.1. It should be identified by genetic studies.)

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Did anyone from your local community avail of the bivalent vaccine? Does your local government have bivalent vaccines already?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Bivalent vaccines being distributed

June 15, 2023June 14, 2023carlocarrasco

The bivalent vaccines for COVID-19 are being distributed in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other regions here in the Philippines, according to a news report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Specifically, the patients who are qualified to receive the shots are the elderly, individuals with co-morbidity, and health care workers.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Department of Health (DOH) has begun distributing the 390,000 bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines donated by the Lithuanian government.

“As we speak, I think they have already been redistributed to the different region(al offices) of the Department of Health,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a Palace press briefing on Tuesday.

Herbosa noted that most of the jabs went to the National Capital Region while the rest were distributed to the other regions.

The elderly, individuals with co-morbidity, and health care workers will be prioritized in the administration of the bivalent vaccines as booster shots.

The prioritized population must be vaccinated immediately as the bivalent doses only have a six-month shelf-life upon delivery.

“So, kapag binili mo iyan (if you buy them) out of the shelf, like this one, this donation, they end on November 23, that’s the expiry date,” he said.

Although the World Health Organization has already declared an end to Covid-19 as a public health emergency, Herbosa emphasized that the public must not be complacent in its fight against the virus and get vaccinated or receive booster shots.

He explained that getting infected could still lead to death, especially among individuals with co-morbidity.

Acknowledging that the donated doses are not enough, he said the DOH is negotiating to acquire more donations and considering procurement of additional jabs.

However, there are “snags and issues,” which may slow down the procurement process, he said.

“So, the issue of the vaccine is in terms of the EUA (emergency use authorization). So, to procure it, kailangan ma-i-rehistro sa ating (they have to be registered with the) FDA (Food and Drug Administration). But, we are trying hard to get all these bivalent (vaccines),” he said.

Earlier, the DOH reported that 1.002 million doses of Pfizer’s bivalent jabs from the COVAX Facility would arrive in March.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you qualified to receive a third booster shot? Has your local government been distributing the bivalent vaccines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: New Health Secretary vows to acquire more bivalent vaccines

June 13, 2023June 8, 2023carlocarrasco

If you are qualified to receive a 3^rd COVID-19 booster shot but you were unable to avail of it due to a lack of supply, then you might be happy to know that the new Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa declared he will acquire additional bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Thursday vowed to acquire more bivalent COVID-19 vaccines as he admits that the country currently does not have enough supply.

In an ambush interview, the new chief of the Department of Health (DOH) said that the more than 390,000 doses of bivalent vaccines donated by Lithuania have already been rolled out, mostly in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“May programa tayo ngayon to acquire as many of the bivalent vaccines… Kulang ‘yung 390,000, we need to get more,” Herbosa said.

(We have a program now to acquire as many of the bivalent vaccines… The 390,000 doses are not enough, we need to get more.)

He, however, acknowledged that there are “technical difficulties” in obtaining the jabs that give protection against the original COVID-19 strain, SARS-CoV-2, and Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

“Syempre mahirap, may mga technical difficulties to acquiring the bivalents pero nandiyan tayo. We’re trying to get it and I will push for getting more of these, especially sa mga vulnerable, sa healthcare workers, kasi nagwe-wane na ‘yung dati nilang bakuna so kailangang mabigyan na sila ng bivalent. We’ll try to acquire that, promise ko ‘yan,” Herbosa added.

(Of course it is difficult as there are technical difficulties to acquiring the bivalent jabs, but we are there. We’re trying to get it and I will push for getting more of these, especially for the vulnerable, for the healthcare workers, because their previous vaccine is waning, so they need to receive the bivalent. We’ll try to acquire that, I promise that.)

Currently, only adults belonging to A1 (healthcare workers) and A2 (senior citizens) categories are allowed to receive the Pfizer bivalent vaccine as third booster dose. They need to wait at least four months after receiving their second booster shot before they take the next one.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you have already received four COVID-19 shots – including the two booster shots – do you really need an additional booster shot now? How long has it been since your 2^nd booster shot was injected into your body?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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