Day: September 4, 2021

Retailers found overpricing Tocilizumab, a drug used as a treatment for critical to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, face one up to 10 years in prison, the Department of Health (DOH) warned Saturday.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing the suggested retail price (SRP) for Tocilizumab ranges from PHP13,000 to PHP25,000, depending on the amount of drug per vial.

“We have sanctions for those who are going to violate the SRP especially during this time of the pandemic, ranging from one to 10 years imprisonment and PHP5,000 to PHP1 million fine based on the discretion of the court,” she said in Filipino.

The DOH allowed the use of Tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug, for patients showing respiratory deterioration and those requiring high doses of oxygen and with elevated markers of inflammation.

Vergeire confirmed that there is a shortage of the drug in the Philippines, driven by the surge in worldwide demand due to rising cases brought by the Delta variant.

“[T]his shortage will end until December of this year so humahanap tayo ngayon ng mga alternative na gamot na puwedeng nating mabigay (we are looking for alternative drugs that we can give to patients),” she said.

Read: PNP, FDA probe illegal online sale of Tocilizumab

The official said health facilities are now using baricitinib as a substitute for Tocilizumab while the DOH requested assistance from the private sector to source out the medicine from other countries.

“Hopefully in the coming weeks matutulungan po tayo ng mga private sector for the supply (the private sector could help us with the supply),” she said.

Meanwhile, the use of Ivermectin is still off the table amid a lack of medical consensus and the absence of evidence to support its safety for Covid-19 patients.

“Sa ngayon wala pang sapat na ebidensya ang Ivermectin para ibigay for Covid-19 (We don’t have enough evidence to suggest Ivermectin’s use for Covid-19 patients),” Vergeire said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

A total of 101,364 eligible residents of Negros Oriental have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), as the government continues to ramp up its vaccination program.

Data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) released on Friday showed the number includes those who have been administered the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

This accounts for 11.15 percent of the province’s target population of 908,939.

Meanwhile, 107,549 have received the first dose, belonging to the priority sectors A1 (health care workers), A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), A4 (other front-liners), and some A5 (indigent) residents.

In a press briefing late Friday afternoon, Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion, Covid-19 incident commander of the province’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the mass vaccination continues at the Lamberto Macias Sports Center here.

The sports center is the mega vaccination site of the province where mostly senior citizens and those registered in the master lists are accommodated, she said.

The province has so far received 285,262 vaccine doses of such brands as Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm.

The number also includes those that were distributed or given directly to the local government units.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Following the death of two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels this week, including a high-ranked official, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) said it will be a big blow to the communist terrorist group as its fate is now left in the hands of inexperienced members.

EastMinCom chief, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, in a statement on Friday, said the death of one alias Asyong will weaken the SYP Platoon 16C1, Guerrilla Front 16, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) of the NPA.

Asyong, the vice commander and political officer of the NEMRC faction, was killed by troops of the 30th Infantry Battalion (IB) in a 15-minute encounter with a group of 10 rebels led by Roel Neniel alias Jacob in Barangay Cagdianao, Claver, Surigao del Norte on Sept. 2.

Two AK-47 rifles and an M14 rifle with magazines and bandolier were recovered.

“We abhor the idea of bloodshed and we do not want to see another rebel dying for the sake of the communist terrorist group. Therefore, I ask the remaining NPA members to surrender peacefully instead of wasting their lives on a senseless ideology,” Almerol said.

Another NPA rebel, Aldo Higyawan alias Ramon of Platoon Ryan, SRC1 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, died in a clash with the 58th IB in Barangay Lawaan, Gingoog City on Aug. 29.

Acting on concerned citizens’ information, government troops discovered the NPA hideout.

After the encounter, they recovered two M16 rifles, an M14 rifle, assorted medical paraphernalia, materiel, and documents.

“This is proof of the people’s genuine intent to help the government in its crusade for peace and in pushing the end of the local communist armed conflict in their communities,” Almerol added.

Almerol condoled with the family of the slain rebels, whom he said were just victims of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) deceptive schemes and selfish agenda.

“May this serve as a solid example that supporting the CPP’s cause will only bring pain and suffering as its agenda epitomizes terrorism and violence,” he said.

He urged remaining NPA members to yield peacefully and avail of the government’s livelihood assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The National Democratic Front, meanwhile, was formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The country must first vaccinate at least 50 percent of the population before considering booster shots, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday, citing some experts.

“[I]yong ibang eksperto natin tinatalaga na at least 50 percent sana ay nabakunahan na para hindi naman ma-disenfranchise iyong mga taong hindi pa nababakunahan kahit isang dose kung tayo po ay sasabak na sa booster dosing (Some of our experts have suggested having 50 percent vaccinated population before getting into booster dosing so as not to disenfranchise those who yet to receive their first dose),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing.

But ideally, Vergeire said the goal must be to achieve first “population protection” or the inoculation of up to 70 million people in the country.

“[W]hen we talk about population protection, we are vaccinating those people who are most vulnerable,” she said.

Vergiere said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is expected to issue a recommendation on September 6 based on discussion with several experts’ groups.

Apart from this, the task force is also set to discuss the vaccination of minors age 12 to 17, but Vergeire did not indicate any timeline when the inoculation might start.

“Kailangan natin tingnan iyong safety, pangalawa po siyempre ilang populasyon or ilang number ng mga bata ang kailangan nating bakunahan para makita natin (We need to ensure its safety and of course we need to know first how many children need to be vaccinated) how it’s going to be part of the vaccination program based on the supplies that we have right now,” she said.

“[H]indi po natin sinasabing hindi natin gagawin, sinasabi lang ho natin pag-aaralan at magbibigay na po ng rekomendasyon sa Lunes ang ating mga eksperto (We’re not saying we’re not going to do it; we just need to study it first and our experts will give their recommendation on Monday),” she added.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for minors, allowing it to be administered to those aged 12 and up.

Source: Philippines News Agency