DOH: COVID SURVIVORS MAY GET JABS RIGHT AFTER RECOVERY

COVID-19 survivors can now be vaccinated immediately after recovery, according to revised vaccination guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that health experts made this recommendation following new studies about vaccination after recovery and in view of the widespread community transmission in Metro Manila.

DOH Department Memorandum No. 2021-0175, dated April 8, amends the earlier rule that people who have been infected by the novel coronavirus could be given vaccinations only after 90 days.

But experts recommended earlier this month that COVID-19 patients who have already recovered from the respiratory disease could be vaccinated immediately after recovery.

“All vaccine recipients who contracted COVID-19 may be vaccinated after recovery or completion of treatment, whether for the first or second dose, without restarting the vaccine dose schedule,” the new guidelines state.

The earlier DOH Circular No. 2021-0157, dated March 30, said that vaccine recipients who contracted COVID-19 after the first dose may be given their second dose 14 days after recovery, without restarting the vaccine dose schedule.

For vaccine recipients whose second dose should be delayed due to deferment guidelines, the second dose “may be provided immediately after the prescribed periods in the deferment guidelines without a maximum time interval, unless otherwise indicated,” according to the latest DOH memorandum.

Pregnant, lactating women

“Only patients presenting with (systolic blood pressure) [higher than] 180 and/or (diastolic blood pressure) [higher than] 120 with signs and symptoms of organ damage (hypertensive emergency) should be deferred for vaccination,” the document read.

According to the DOH, these patients will be referred to physicians on duty at the vaccination site and be taken to emergency rooms immediately.

“Other eligible vaccine recipients who do not meet blood pressure cutoffs for hypertensive emergency or target organ damage shall be vaccinated,” the memorandum added.

Pregnant and lactating women may be offered vaccination if they belong to the priority groups for vaccination.

However, pregnant women should not receive the vaccines during their first trimester.

—RICHARD A. REYES BE NOT AFRAID An elderly woman in Pasay City shows there is nothing to fear as she gets her shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at Timoteo Paez Elementary School.