DOH urges people to register for shots with LGUs
Eagle News) – COVID-19 patients who had recovered can be immediately given vaccines, according to the latest guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).
The DOH issued the additional guidelines on Thursday, April 12, to clarify the previously issued COVID-19 National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.
“Individuals who recently recovered from COVID-19 may be vaccinated immediately after recovery or completion of treatment for their first or second dose,” the DOH said in its Department Memorandum (DM) No. 2021-0175.
“Individuals who were not able to receive their second dose due to medical reasons must coordinate with their respective vaccination sites for the immediate rescheduling of their vaccination,” it said.
Before this , those who recovered from COVID could only be vaccinated about three months after recovery.
The DOH further clarified that “only individuals experiencing a blood pressure (BP) of 180/120 or higher with signs and symptoms of organ damage during the screening process, cannot be vaccinated.”
“Other vaccine recipients with blood pressure not meeting definitions of hypertensive emergency may be vaccinated,” it said.
-Medical clearance not required except for immunocompromised persons-
The DOH also stressed that “medical clearance is NOT REQUIRED, except for immunocompromised individuals.”
These include autoimmune diseases, HIV, cancer patients currently undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, transplant patients, those undergoing steroid treatment, and patients who are bedridden or with a poor prognosis.
-DOH lists comorbid conditions-
The DOH listed examples of comorbid conditions under the A3 Priority Group, based on priority diseases that have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 if infected:
– Chronic respiratory disease and infection such as asthma and respiratory allergies, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Interstitial Lung Diseases, Cystic Fibrosis, or Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Chronic bronchitis, Histoplasmosis, Bronchiectasis
– Cardiovascular disease such as hypertension coronary heart diseases, -cardiomyopathies, peripheral artery disease, aortic diseases, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease
– Chronic kidney disease
– Cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke and transient ischemic attack
– Cancer of malignancy
– Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 and Type 2
– Obesity
– Neurologic diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Epilepsy and Seizures, Bell’s palsy, Guillan-Barre Syndrome, or acute spinal cord injury
– Chronic liver disease such as hepatitis cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
– Immunodeficiency state such as genetic immunodeficiencies, secondary or acquired immunodeficiencies (i.e. prolonged use of corticosteroids), HIV infection, – Solid organ or blood transplant patients
– Other diseases such as sickle cell disease, Thalassemia or Down Syndrome
-DOH reminds people on minimum public heath protocols-
The DOH again reminded the public to observe minimum public health standards after vaccination, and urged everyone to get free vaccines.
People should coordinate with their local government units (LGUs) to register for their shots to be protected from getting the severe form of COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)
