Ask vaccinators to show syringe after jab – Duque
THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday advised the public to ask COVID-19 vaccinators to show them the syringe after inoculation to ensure that they were vaccinated properly.
Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said the public can take pictures of their syringe after vaccination as a “simple” and “practical” solution to concerns over improper inoculation.
“‘Di ba ‘pag inineksyunan ka, ayaw mo makita, takot ka. Pero pwede mo namang sabihan ‘yung nagtuturok sa’yo, ‘yung nurse, ‘kapag natapos nga, pakita mo sa’kin. Kunan ko lang ng picture ‘yung syringe,” he said.
Duque issued the advice after at least three videos surfaced which showed that some vaccinators fail to push the plunger after injecting the needle into vaccine recipients, leaving the substance inside the syringe.
The health chief said that doing so would also enable the recipient to have evidence that he received his shot.
“Isama na natin, gano’n na ‘yung sistema. Hindi naman siguro mahirap gawin ‘yun. Meron ka pang ebidensya pag may nagtanong sa’yo, ‘Nabakunahan ka na ba?’” he added.
The DOH earlier described improper vaccinations as a clear breach of protocol. However, the agency also urged the public not to castigate health workers, describing the incidents as a result of “human error.”
Health authorities also recommended the limiting of vaccinators’ work hours as well as regular staff rotations to prevent mistakes.
The Philippines has vaccinated over 7.5 million individuals as of June 27, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 50 million to 70 million people this year.
