*Medical expert: Persons with this comorbid condition must be on the priority list for the jab
By Ma. Joreina Therese A. Blanco/PIA IN
A ranking health expert of the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 1 has underscored the importance of vaccination on the people against the COVID-19, especially for persons with comorbidities (simultaneous presence of two or more diseases in one patient).
During the Kapihan sa Ilocos, Dr. Rheuel Bobis, medical officer IV of DOH-Center for Health Development, explained that people with comorbidities belong to the vulnerable sectors in the priority list for the jab.
“Sa ngayon, ayon sa World Health Organization (WHO) at Center for Disease Control and Prevention (DCP), kabilang po sa mga high-risk individuals at vulnerable population ang mga tao na may comorbidities,” the medical officer said in Tagalog-English (Taglish) during the Kapihan weekly online show of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Region I.
He stated that the globally recognized health agencies recommend vaccines for persons with comorbidities as there was no proven study showing vaccine contraindications against COVID-19.
As the contagion continued to exist in our midst, Dr. Bobis advocated vaccination for those comorbid patients to help their bodies fight against the greater risk of COVID-19 infection and other diseases that may arise.
“Ang COVID-19 vaccination ay makabubuti para sa kanila kasi alam naman po natin na kapag may comorbidities ang isang tao, higher po ang kanyang risk for COVID-19 infection at mas malala ang kanyang makukuhang sakit kapag siya ay na-infect ng COVID-19,” he added in Taglish.
So far, a series of vaccine information dissemination drives are being conducted at the grassroots level with DOH as the government lead agency.
In partnership with PIA, the communication arm of the government, Bobis hopes for a significant increase in the level of vaccine acceptance by the majority of people in the Ilocos Region. (Ma. Joreina Therese A. Blanco/PIA IN)
