The Department of Health (DoH) said Friday that the man who had the country’s first case of the B.1.1.7. SARS-CoV-2 or the UK variant of COVID-19 has already tested negative for the virus in his latest swab test.
Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Meron pong part ng assessment diyan po sa ating registration for this vaccination para madetermine natin sino ang puwedeng bigyan at sinong hindi puwedeng bigyan (There is an assessment part for this vaccination so that we can determine who are qualified to receive the vaccine),” said DoH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
It is important that the recipient should have a health body before getting vaccinated, said Vergeire.
So far, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines after it recently granted the American drug-maker an emergency use authorization.
The DOH said it was already able to contact 92 percent of the co-passengers of the 29-year-old Filipino who tested positive for the new COVID-19 virus variant.
Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In an interview with DZMM, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said some of the passengers on board Emirates
Flight EK 332 from Dubai to Manila were either not answering calls or can’t be contacted at all.
“Nakausap namin most of these passengers, but some passengers are rejecting our call so sana po ay kausapin nila kami para kami ay mag karoon ng maayos na contact tracing and mabigyan namin sila ng guidance on what they should do (We were able to talk to most of these passengers, but some passengers are rejecting our call. Hopefully, they talk to us so that we conduct our contact tracing properly and that we could give them guidance on what they should do),” Vergeire said.
The treatment of those who will experience adverse reactions after receiving a vaccine against COVID-19 will be shouldered by the government, the Department of Health (DOH) said.