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News By HANA BORDEY, GMA News
Published May 15, 2021 8:35am
A vaccinator administers a COVID-19 shot in Taguig City on April 16, 2021. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday, May 15, 2021, said the public s safety will not be compromised despite the Department of Health s decision to cut vital signs screening prior to vaccination. DANNY PATA Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday assured the public that their safety is not compromised in the Department of Health’s decision to cut the vital signs screening before COVID-19 vaccination. “‘Di mako-compromise (ang safety) kasi tatanungin naman kung dati namang may hypertension. So aalamin natin ang history ng pasyente. Di naman lahat e basta lang hindi kukunan (ng vital signs),” Duque said in an interview on Dobol B TV.
As they assured the public that the vaccines would not be wasted, the Department of Health on Saturday bared the expiry dates of different COVID-19 vaccine brands that are currently available in the country.
Philippine Red Cross (PRC / MANILA BULLETIN)
PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon proposed this to the Department of Health (DOH) in a letter addressed to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Gordon recommended that the government prioritize the front liners – their families, and other companions – as a group to prevent the whole household from being exposed to and infected with COVID-19.
To date, the government identified frontline workers in health facilities as its A1 priority group.
A vaccinator gives a shot of the Sinovac vaccine to the residents in Makati inside a vehicle (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director-General Jeremiah Belgica (Photo from ARTA)
ARTA Director-General Jeremiah Belgica made the statement after ARTA issued a show-cause order FDA Center for Drug Regulation and Research (CDRR) Director IV Jesusa Cirunay to “explain why no administrative or criminal case should be filed” against her for supposedly sitting on over 600 drug applications filed since 2014 despite completeness of submission of various pharmaceutical companies.
In a virtual public briefing, Belgica asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and FDA Director-General Eric Domingo to cleanse the FDA as he pointed out that more complaints against the agency are pouring in.
“Iyong reklamo hong pumapasok, Center for Drugs pero pati rin ho sa ibang mga centers ay may mga pumapasok na din po sa amin na mga affidavits (The complaints we have are for the CDRR but we have affidavits coming in complaining about other centers of the FDA),” he said during the Laging Handa br