The Municipality of Salcedo vaccinated an additional 49 local residents against COVID-19 today with the Sinovac Vaccine.
The vaccinees were composed of 38 barangay health workers, 7 members of the Salcedo Disaster and Emergency Response Team, and 4 school nurses.
Three persons were deferred from vaccination because of comorbidities.
50 doses of the vaccine were delivered to the Salcedo Rural Health Center (RHU) earlier today, but one vial was found to be leaking and was discarded.
The doses were among the vaccines donated to the Philippines by the Chinese government this month.
Doctors from the Felipe Abrigo Memorial Hospital (FAMH) also attended the vaccination as additional supervising physicians.
The RHU noted on the possibility of a weekly COVID-19 vaccination from here onwards.
The next batch to be vaccinated will be the remaining barangay health workers and members of barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTS).
Lesser immediate Side-effects
The RHU observed that there were fewer cases of immediate side effects today compared that of the vaccination last week using Astra Zeneca.
“Last week, there were four cases of elevated blood pressure, one being serious, right after the vaccination,” said Municipal Health Officer Dra. Campo. “Today we only had two cases, none being serious.”
The MHO said that based on the Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (RESU) data, Sinovac had lesser side effects compared with Astra Zeneca but Filipinos are much more hesitant with Sinovac.
The MHO said that the elevated blood pressure may only be fear and anxiety related.
According to a joint statement from the Philippine Heart Association and the Philippine Society of Hypertension, elevated blood pressure “is not a disqualifier to COVID-19 vaccination and to date, none of the COVID-19 vaccines with EUE approval for patients with comorbidities specifically state that elevated blood pressure is a contraindication.”
“Findings abroad does not state hypertension as a COVID side effect. It was only here in the Philippines that we had cases of elevated blood pressure after vaccination,” Dra. Campo said.
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