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88% of Covid-19 deaths in C. Visayas unvaxxed: DOH-7

By John Rey Saavedra

January 21, 2022, 7:52 pm

<p>Department of Health-Central Visayas chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche.<em> (Screengrab from OPAV/VVOC video)</em></p>

Department of Health-Central Visayas chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche. (Screengrab from OPAV/VVOC video)

CEBU CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) 7 (Central Visayas) said Friday it is sending vaccine doses to medical facilities here after it was reported that 88 percent of the patients who died of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in government-run hospitals were unvaccinated.

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, DOH-7 chief pathologist, said in a Visayas Vaccination Operations Center briefer that based on a report from the DOH-run hospitals from January 1 to 19, out of 49 fatalities due to the virus, 43 have not received a dose of the vaccine.

“That’s why we will make available the vaccines in the hospitals for those who are admitted either for Covid-19 or non-Covid reasons so that if they have not (been) vaccinated yet, they could be convinced to get vaccinated,” Loreche said.

Of the total number of deaths, six patients were either fully or partially vaccinated.

In Thursday's bulletin, the DOH-7 said about 6,395 people have died of Covid-19 in Central Visayas, with 40 percent of the casualties from Cebu province, and 24 percent from Cebu City.

In the entire region, the DOH-7 monitored only a total of 4,643 adverse events or side effects from any of the seven brands of vaccine administered. This represents 0.1 percent of the total jabs administered.

In a meeting with private and public hospital administrators, the idea of bringing the vaccines closer to where the patients are admitted was brought up.

Loreche cited the hospitals for partnering with the agency in allowing vaccination for their admitted patients.

“This is a step forward – to be able to do vaccination for everybody, not only those who are admitted because they are immuno-compromised, or those who need dialysis or chronic kidney disease patients and cancer patients under treatment,” she said.

Loreche said their data showed that 80 percent of persons admitted in both private and public hospitals here are not vaccinated.

She also reported that the region has received a total of 8.7 million vaccine doses of different brands, with 1.2 million doses still in the cold chain facilities and ready to be administered.

“Supply is not an issue here but the willingness of the people to get convinced (of) the efficacy of getting vaccinated against the coronavirus,” Loreche said.

As of Thursday, Central Visayas has administered 7.2 million vaccine doses, 53 percent as first dose, 45 percent as second dose, and 2.3 percent as booster shots. (PNA)

 

 

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