Virology institute
VARIOUS quarters are now using the emergence of new variants of the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to push for the creation of a virology institute in the country.
Without doubt, the establishment of the proposed “Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines” will enable the government to respond more quickly to emerging diseases.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said the bill creating the VVIP would be a big help to the health sector.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. described the Philipines as a biologically diverse country affected by global warming.
According to Solidum, this Southeast Asian nation is also exposed to threats of zoonotic diseases passed from animals to humans.
These chances of zoonotic illnesses, he said, are very high in the Philippines.
Thus, like other Filipinos, we cannot overemphasize the importance of the “Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.”
But it is certainly heartening to know that the new variants – FLiRT – are not considered deadly unless contracted by the elderly.
This is why the government would well to intensify its nationwide campaign to vaccinate the country’s senior citizens and people with weakened immune system.
It’s a move in the right direction.
