Vaccinated Pasay hospital OIC, 14 others infected but recovering

MANILA – Some 15 health care workers of the Pasay City General Hospital (PCGH), including its officer in charge, Dr. John Victor de Gracia, have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

They were among those who were inoculated with CoronaVac jabs on March 2, thus preventing them from experiencing severe symptoms, de Gracia said in a statement released Friday.

The infected personnel are either asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms. One was classified as moderate risk.

“Mabuti na lamang at nabakunahan na kami bago ma-infect kaya hindi namin masyadong ininda iyong sakit. Sa totoo lang, kung nangyari ito bago kami na-inject, baka meron sa aming naging seryoso ang kalagayan (It’s a good thing that we were vaccinated before we were infected, that’s why we did not experience serious symptoms. If we weren’t vaccinated, we might have been in serious condition),” he said.

On Thursday, de Gracia ordered the temporary closure of the Out-Patient Department’s (OPD) teleconsultation after three nurses tested positive for Covid-19.

Aside from de Gracia, the other infected health care workers were three nurses, four nursing aides, a medical technologist, a pharmacist and three administrative personnel.

“Sinovac ensures for about 53 percent, you can prevent being infected with the coronavirus, but it ensures 100 percent you won’t progress to a severe case or even death,” he said.

De Gracia said any brand of Covid-19 vaccine would not prevent anyone from contracting the disease, but it helps avoid severe illnesses.

“With any vaccine brand, there is always a possibility na ma-infect ka pa rin (that you will still get infected). But the vaccine prevents you from becoming a severe case that would need hospitalization,” he said.

De Gracia noted that receiving the second dose of the vaccine would give full protection to the recipients.

The PCGH is set to roll out the second doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac jabs from March 30 to April 5, while the second doses of AstraZeneca vaccines will be given last week of April.

He assured that all PCGH workers who contracted the virus are in stable condition and already recovering.