Philippine Heart Association (PHA) reiterates its strong recommendation to get vaccinated as vaccine protects the vulnerable population
PHA News:
Guest author:
- GYNNA P. GAGELONIA, Media Relations Officer at Philippine Heart Association (PHA) MRO
Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-c7U
The global battle to end the Covid-19 pandemic is now on its second year and, yet, there’s still no sign of slowing down. Let alone its end.
Fortunately, medical organizations like the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) are not letting their guard down as the fight is a life-and-death struggle. For the PHA it’s wrestling with safety and survival.
Although all are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 (the pathogen driving Covid-19), there are those who can be infected more than others. The vulnerable to Covid-19 includes those with advanced age, with hypertension, heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions.
Getting that vaccine completed and soonest is your best shot to protect your heart and yourself. Even if this were so, vaccination remains a large problem locally. Close to 70 percent of Covid-19 patients in the National Capital Region (NCR) hospitals are unvaccinated, while 10 percent are not fully vaccinated.
It is an important advocacy of the PHA to promote measures that improve quality of life and survival for the greater good. Banking on this development, a team of doctors from diverse fields — public health, cardiology, infectious disease and allergy/immunology, urged the people aged 18 and above to avail themselves of the vaccination program.
“Protect Yourself. Vaccinate. We reiterate that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the adverse effect,” they emphasized.
This opening message which Dr. Richard Henry Tiongco II and Dr. Luigi Pierre Segundo expressed. They hosts the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) Usapang Puso sa Puso (UPP) “Pangamba sa Bakuna: Ang Puso sa Gitna ng PandemyaVersion 2, ” which should be enough to induce positivity, amid reports of new highs in Covid-19 infections. UPP, its latest edition held on Wednesday (August 25), is transmitted via FB live and Zoom and cross-posted by the Facebook pages of the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine College of Physicians (PCP).
Dr. Tiongco, an interventional cardiologist and Dr. Segundo, a cardio-electrophysiologist, were joined by Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, director III from the DOH Disease Prevention & Control Bureau; Dr. Regina Berba, PSMID Council member (Infectious disease expert), and Dr. Marysia Stella Tiongco-Recto, a past PSAAI president (allergy/immunology expert).
At the UP-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), its Hospital infection Control Unit (HICU) reported that as of August 17, 2021, the unvaccinated adults are more critically ill with Covid-19. They comprise 85 percent of the 60 years and above and 78 percent of the less than 60 years in the ICU. The report also added that many hospitalized seniors remain unvaccinated even if they are second on the priority list. (Source: FB Post of Dr. Jonas Del Rosario, UP-PGH spokersperson and Dr. Regina Berba UP-PGH HICU chief.)
Vaccination provides the edge against severe Covid-19 infections
Getting inoculated gives you the edge. The reality is coronavirus is here. We can’t avoid it but the global village denizens have all the means to weaken its impact.
“As cardiologists we want to help our people get well informed, to understand the reason behind Covid infections, the importance of vaccination and saving lives, to end the pandemic.” Furthermore Tiongco and Segundo stressed that “patients with hypertension and cardiovascular conditions are priority cases for vaccination due to their vulnerability to infection.”
The local vaccine rollout is moving forward to the tens of thousands. National and local governments, and the private sector (companies and groups) have been working closely — to boost the vaccination program and to ensure that the health and lockdown protocols are being observed.
Dr. Tiongco and Dr. Segundo emphasized that we must not only seek protection from the virus by vaccination but reach herd immunity, and this means getting as much people vaccinated as possible appropriately.
The enforcement of and compliance with the health protocols — social or physical distancing and wearing mask even in private homes, staying home and no-visitors allowed and washing of hands; or sanitizing with alcohol or wipes; coupled with doing physical activities, eating healthy, stress management, taking vitamins and maintenance medicines, physical hygiene, giving special care to the elderly and/or family members with health issues; should be every dedicated family member’s lookout and every dutiful Filipino citizen’s concern.
“Keeping CVD at bay is also putting Covid away. Foiling an imminent CVD or Covid attack should go hand in hand. Being fully vaccinated builds your resistance against an imminent Covid-19 attack. Keeping a healthy lifestyle. Preventive cardiology is vital in these difficult times. Most hospital are full. Maintaining a cardiovascular system healthy/ managing your cardiovascular issues and knowing your risk factors and doing something about it, lowers your risk of catching the virus.” said Segundo.
Health experts assure all Covid-19 vaccines prevent severe cases and deaths
Amidst the confusion over the choice of vaccine brand and opposing reviews on which is the better option for people with comorbidities, health experts said that regardless of brand, all these vaccines are effective to prevent severe Covid and death, and are deemed generally safe. The benefits of getting the jab to protect people from all these far outweighs the risks, added Segundo.
Although apparently and especially with the rise of the Delta variant, all age groups are more prone to infection and complications, those in their senior years and older and people who have certain underlying diseases are at greater risk of worse Covid infection severity or death.
Vaccination significantly and almost certainly protects individuals from severe Covid and death. Consequently, if a breakthrough infection occurs, apparently this is expected to occur to a lesser degree. Patients with pre-existing hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure are less likely to suffer from severe Covid-19 complications if they got the vax. Therefore, get well-informed and get that vaccine into your arm, said Tiongco.
Guard yourself, your family and community from the onslaught of Covid, let us all join hands in attaining herd immunity soon enough and walk the road towards a safer and Covid-free society.
Since 1952 the PHA has been battling the scourge of CVDs. In March 2020, an additional invisible war caught us all by the heavy impact of Covid-19 in a fight that continues to this day.
In unison, Tiongco and Segundo said it is our duty to fight for what is right, to save as many lives as much as possible beginning with the correct information, establishing common ground through validated science used for the common and greater good, justly for the Filipino people.
This is part of the PHA Advocacy. (✓)