GO Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion on Monday reiterated the importance of bringing in bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines immediately, amid the possibility that the Omicron subvariant is already in the country and might hinder economic recovery.

“We must bring in the bivalent vaccines, especially now that the XBB variant may already be in our midst,” said Concepcion. He warned that without up-to-date protection against the new variant, the country may find itself in a “perfect storm” wherein local healthcare is overwhelmed amid the world economy struggling with rising prices, rising interest rates, and a strong dollar.

“This fourth quarter is so important because it is when business momentum increases and many jobs are created, especially in food and retail. It’s also when businesses can have enough cash flow and cross over to 2023,” said Concepcion.

He said that with bivalent vaccines, there may be no need to cut back on mobility because vaccines can prevent serious infections and hospitalization. “The number of cases may go up, but as long as the hospitals are not at full capacity, the economy can remain open,” he stressed.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante raised the possibility of undetected COVID-19 Omicron subvariant XBB in the country. The XBB is said to be immune-evasive than the BA.5, the world’s dominant Omicron subvariant.

However, bivalent vaccines, which contain the Omicron component, are seen to provide better protection against subvariants that cause severe illness.

The Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) declared that the bivalent vaccine provides a 75% better antibody response against Omicron than the original mRNA vaccine.

OCTA Research Fellow and molecular biologist Fr. Nic Austriaco said the government needs to facilitate and accelerate the importation of the bivalent COVID vaccines and all future variant vaccines to anticipate an XBB surge and all future variant surges.

The vaccines, said Fr. Austriaco, will be developed once or twice every year. “With these vaccines and our antiviral drugs, we can shift the responsibility for community health from the government to our individual citizens. This will quicken the shift from pandemic to endemic disease,” he said.

In a letter to the Department of Health (DOH) dated Oct. 12, 2022, Concepcion shared some suggestions to DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire about the plans to bring in bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to the country.

Concepcion proposed to provide the DOH with the list of businesses and their employees who are willing to receive the bivalent vaccines to ensure that the vaccines that the government will procure will be used. He said that the private sector will also assist in the inoculations.

“I hope the DOH can consider granting this first recommendation as soon as possible so we would know how many vaccines they must purchase,” explained Concepcion. “Through this pre-registration, we will minimize wastage,” he said.

“Of utmost importance besides pre-registration is the least disruption in the personal cost and work schedule of those to be vaccinated who are battling more pressing concerns. We can re-activate arrangements and partnerships that have worked well in our previous implementation,” Concepcion wrote Vergeire.

The Go Negosyo founder also recommended to the DOH to limit the choice of bivalent vaccines to two brands – Pfizer and Moderna – to avoid confusion, miscommunication, and the logistical challenges presented by procuring several vaccine brands.

“With only a maximum of two brands, it will be easier for the government to draft guidelines on which segments of the population will be eligible for the bivalent vaccines and can adequately prepare for the vaccines’ storage and handling,” he said.

Concepcion also underscored the need for the government to act with expedience in securing doses for the Philippines, saying several countries have already placed their orders for the bivalent vaccines.

While waiting for the bivalent vaccines to arrive, Concepcion called on the public to be extra vigilant as mobility will be higher than usual in the last quarter of the year due to the Christmas season.

“There is no need to restrict movement; people only need to be careful. Businesses already know their own health protocols, and by now, they already have that experience,” he said.

The last three months of the year will be beneficial to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.