The Department of Health announced Wednesday that it will train health care workers to identify the adverse effects that can be caused by the Johnson & Johnson company’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
Janssen was recently granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines. But this is conditional following a few cases of alleged blood clotting in patients who received Janssen in other countries.
“‘Yong additional recommendations ng FDA para dito sa J&J vaccine, kailangan i-train ‘yong mga vaccination team para they can easily recognize these adverse events among those who will be vaccinated with this specific vaccine,” said Department of Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire.
According to experts, of the vaccines already used in the country, only minor adverse events have been recorded.
“Wala po pang nare-report na severe reaction, katulad ng blood clot, sa mga pagbabakuna. So, so far, that’s a good sign for all of us,” said cardiologist Dr. Richard Henry Tionco.
With the arrival of various vaccine brands in the coming weeks and months, plans are underway to build larger vaccination sites to speed up the distribution of the vaccine.
“We are encouraging our local governments nga na baka pwedeng madagdagan pa ang sites para mas bumilis ang pagpapatawag sa ating mga kababayan para bakunahan,” said Vergeire.
Health workers will be trained to identify adverse events of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
“Nakikipag-negotiate na sila [vaccine czar] Sec. (Carlito) Galvez for big vaccination sites tulad ng Nayong Pilipino at ibang areas,” she added.
But because there is also a shortage of health workers today, the DOH recommends that non-health workers be vaccinated as well.
They can help with the screening, counseling, and monitoring of the person who has been vaccinated.
But the injectors are said to be doctors, nurses, midwives, or pharmacists who have been trained in this process.
As of April 20, up to 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been injected, of which more than 209,000 are second doses.
Meanwhile, the Indian firm Bharat Biotech needs to submit more documents for its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin before it would be allowed to enter the Philippines, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration only granted a conditional emergency use authorization (EUA) to Covaxin because it has yet to submit documents such as a certificate of good manufacturing practice and a risk management plan.