Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said no vaccine that could provide 100% protection against infections has been invented yet.
Vergeire made the statement after UK regulator Medicines, and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned that Pfizer-Biontech’s COVID-19 vaccine could cause allergic reactions.
“Sa ngayon, wala pong 100% na bakuna na makakaprovide ng 100% [protection]. Sa measles po, halimbawa, 93% po after first dose but this increases to 97% after second dose. Sa polio po, after three doses, it reaches 99%. Wala pa hong bakuna na nakakereach ng 100%, but these vaccines can prevent an individual from suffering from the severe form of the disease,” Vergeire said.
“Katulad po ng vaccines that we use on children, hindi po 100% but the vaccine will prevent further complications from the disease. Katulad po ng bakuna laban chicken pox, iyong iba na nabakunahan, nagkakaroon pa rin [ng chicken pox] pero in mild form na lang since the vaccine prevents the person from developing the severe type of infection,” she added.
Further, Vergeire said that an allergic reaction is a common side effect of a new vaccine or medicine.
No vaccine can provide 100% protection – DOH
“Lahat ng bagong technology, may it be medicines or vaccines, common na side effect iyong allergies. Kaya nga tinatanong tayo ng mga doktor before we are given a medicine or vaccine, if we are allergic to something like food or drug we took before,” Vergeire said.
“Ang gamot o bakuna kasi ay foreign material na ipinapasok sa ating katawan. Pero the effect is different across different individuals. Hindi porket na-allergy ako, ma-a-allergy rin ang isang kasama ko. Kaya magkakaroon tayo ng inclusion and exclusion criteria [kung sino ang puwedeng tumanggap ng isang partikular na bakuna],” the DOH official added.
Aside from allergies, DOH also advises the public to refrain from excessive drinking because liquor could lessen the effectiveness of upcoming COVID-19 vaccines.
A Russian health official warned not to drink alcohol two weeks before being injected with the Sputnik V vaccine and 42 days after receiving it.
“These are just precautionary measures. We all know that when you drink alcohol, especially when you drink it too much, bumababa po ang immunity natin,” Vergeire told reporters.
