COVID-19 vaccines were still effective against the Indian COVID-19 variant, according to DOH.
On Wednesday, the Department of Health (DOH) said that COVID-19 vaccines were still effective against the Indian COVID-19 variant.
The Department of Health allayed fears that the Indian COVID-19 variant will lessen the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the said variant had a similar mutation to the South African COVID-19 variant, which had an effect on neutralizing antibodies.
However, Vergeire clarified that the COVID-19 variant’s mutations will not render the COVID-19 vaccines completely useless.
READ ALSO: DOH Verifying COVID-19 Test Results Of 13 Co-Passengers
“When we say neutralizing antibody, ito po yung mga nabubuo nating antibodies maybe because of natural infection ‘pag nagkasakit po kayo ng COVID-19 o di kaya ay nabakunahan kayo ng COVID-19 vaccine. Pero hindi naman sinasabi na totally zero at mawawala na po ang epekto ng bakuna sa inyo, so ito po ay makakaapekto pero ang sinasabi pa rin ng eksperto, gagana pa pa rin ang proteksyon na ibibigay satin ng bakuna so tuloy-tuloy lang po ang pagbabakuna natin,” Vergeire told Teleradyo in an interview.
Vergeire also said that mutation was part of the cycle of a coronavirus and it will continue to mutate as long as it found a host.
Vergeire’s statement came after two confirmed cases of the Indian COVID-19 variant were reported in the Philippines on Tuesday, but both have already recovered and returned home.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said that the Department of Health was verifying the COVID-19 test results of 13 co-passengers of a seafarer who had tested positive for the COVID-19 variant first detected in India.
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