NEWS | Amidst alleged human errors in vaccine rollout, frontliners’ struggle on COVID-19 fight worsen
By Mira Anacio
The topic of Philippine vaccination rollout issues, once again, resurfaced as videos of failed vaccinations went viral on social media — from lack of vaccine supply, Filipino vaccine hesitancy, to the processes of vaccine administration, which could hinder achieving herd immunity by year-end. The failed vaccination administration was then blamed on human error caused by health workers being overworked. This further implies the current plight of the health workers, the frontliners in the fight against COVID-19, who continue to demand from the Department of Health (DOH) their unreleased benefits from Bayanihan 2.
COVID- 19 vaccination status
The Philippine government said that it targets to achieve herd immunity by the end of 2021. In order to achieve this, 58 to 70 million, of the more than 100 million population of the Philippines, needs to be inoculated.
As the vaccination against COVID-19 continues to roll-out all over cities and provinces, a report from the DOH, as of July 11, 2021, stated that there were already 13,196,282 vaccines administered out of 18,711,770 vaccines the Philippines have procured and received from donations.
According to the June 20, 2021 statement of Bantay Bakuna, a civil society group monitoring the Philippines’ vaccination rollout, based on a 7-day average, the vaccine rate of the Philippines is 208,809 per day, which is much less than the needed 762,265 inoculation per day estimate to achieve herd immunity this year.
“Kung magpapatuloy ang kasalukuyang takbo ng pagbabakuna, aabutin ng 1.9 taon para maabot ang target na mabakunahan ang 70% ng populasyon o 76 milyong pilipino,” said Bantay Bakuna.
In relation to this, member of Inter-Agency Task Force sub-technical working group on data analytics and epidemiologist Dr. John Wong, on June 2 in a town hall forum organized by the DOH, said that the target vaccination, one fifth of the elderly, adults and with comorbidities, was not achieved. Only 14% percent of senior citizens have gotten their COVID-19 shots, while only 8% of those with comorbidities have been vaccinated. On June 3, he also reported that over one million individuals missed their second dosage, which could result in weakened immunity against COVID-19 virus.
Root of reluctancy
Recently, videos of failed vaccinations went viral on social media platforms, from Makati, Mandaluyong, and Las Piñas vaccination centers. These received a number of comments expressing their doubts on the vaccine, vaccine administration, and various possible controversies linked to the problem.
In response, Makati Mayor Abigail Binay asked for the public’s understanding, explaining that the incident is an isolated case and was caused by overworked health worker volunteer. The DOH also assured the public that it will be duly investigated.
Last May, according to a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, only three out of 10 adult Filipinos are willing to be vaccinated, with 30% citing fear of vaccine side effects. In the first week of June, Dr. Wong said that the possible reasons for not getting vaccines, relating to those who miss the second dosage and small percentage of adults and individuals with comorbidity, are vaccine hesitancy, fear of side-effects, and vaccine supply issues.
In relation to this, PhilHealth reassured the public that the severe or adverse side effects from vaccination of COVID-19 are now covered and will be compensated by the agency. Under the PhilHealth Circular: №2021–0007, published June 17, in accordance with the Section 10 of Republic Act 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccine Program Act of 2021, individuals hospitalized to individuals that will have permanent disability due to the vaccination will be compensated.
Frontliners’ continuous struggle
In the pursuit to improve the vaccination system and lessen the chance of human error caused by overworking, the DOH requested local governments to improve administrative protocols and limit the work or volunteering hours in vaccination centers to eight hours.
However, health workers’ issues also include constantly facing issues of delayed benefits. On June 30, Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) held a protest in front of DOH to demand the delayed, unreleased benefits of healthcare workers under Bayanihan Law 2 such as the meal, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowances, special risk allowance (SRA), and COVID-19 hazard pay. Similar actions were done by the health workers last year when the benefits under Bayanihan 1 were delayed.
Robert Mendoza, AHW national president, explained that Bayanihan 2 had expired last June 30 yet health workers’ hard-earned benefits were not yet released. Despite the fact that all health workers struggle and are exposed to the threat of the virus, only the workers with direct contact of the virus were given their SRA last June 28. Echoing the same sentiments, Cristy Donguines, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-Alliance of Health Workers President, said that health workers, who are extremely demoralized due to the gross incompetence and neglect of the DOH and the Duterte government, do not deserve to beg for these benefits as these were already provided by law.
AHW also expressed their disappointments to the DOH, the agency that is primarily mandated to look after health workers rights, protection and welfare. They asked Secretary Duque and other officials to be held accountable for their gross neglect to health workers’ welfare.
