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Thursday, March 28, 2024

DOH hits video of UP professor vs. COVID jabs

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The Department of Health on Thursday condemned a video featuring University of the Philippines School of Medicine Professor and leading pharmacologist Dr. Romeo Quijano, who alleged that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.

“The DOH condemns health professionals who have been spreading false information regarding life-saving interventions such as COVID-19 vaccines. It is especially irresponsible as the country continues to face the threat of the more infectious Delta variant,” the department said in a statement.

“There is a growing amount of real-world evidence globally which has consistently shown that COVID-19 vaccines have led to significant reductions in hospitalizations and deaths among vaccinated individuals. Moreover, despite increases in COVID-19 cases in these countries, the same rate of increase is NOT seen in hospitalizations and deaths,” it added.

“It is likewise irresponsible for media outlets to allow such professionals to use their platforms to spread baseless information that stands to harm Filipinos, especially those who are in the process of deciding to get vaccinated,” the DOH said.

Quijano also wrote a series of blog articles entitled “Quijano Series: Beware the Vaccine for COVID-19.”

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Coronavirus misinformation abounds online and people peddling falsehoods have taken the opportunity to spread unsubstantiated narratives, the DOH said.

In a Facebook post, infectious diseases expert Dr. Edsel Salvana, a member of the DOH-Technical Advisory Group, called it “unfortunate” that some medical professionals believe in conspiracy theories and engage in “sensationalist propaganda” without citing proper evidence.

He said such a move costs lives and prolongs the pandemic.

“Their credentials as doctors and their willingness to unwittingly drag their institutions into the fray is confusing the public and affecting vaccine confidence. This will ultimately cost lives and prolong the pandemic,” he said.

All COVID-19 vaccines being used in the country are safe and effective, Salvana said, citing data that severe side effects are extremely rare and only a handful of adverse reactions are under investigation as having contributed to the death of a patient.

“About 4.54 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide have been given. In contrast, 205 million people have been sickened by COVID-19 and 4.3 million people have died,” he said.

Salvana renewed his call for the public to get vaccinated, saying it is “the only acceptable solution” to the pandemic. “Vaccines are a public good that have already saved millions of lives. Please get vaccinated to protect yourself and others.”

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