What now?
Published Mar 23, 2021 12:11 am
MEDIUM RARE
Jullie Y. Daza
All this time, our little brains are being overwhelmed by huge numbers – daily infections, vaccine doses, violations and violators, economic devastation, etc.
Bite-size stories from people at ground zero, one at a time, are more easy to chew on. For example, a medical frontliner recounted how she and her colleagues were escorted by armed policemen when they picked up the vaccines – free but priceless! -- from the DOH office. The inoculations went well, with reports of “minor” side effects: none from SinoVac, flu-like symptoms from AstraZeneca.
This frontliner said two girls experienced different outcomes from AstraZeneca. For one, it was high fever, 39 C. For the other girl, tachycardia or abnormally fast heartbeat, for days afterward. The two girls’ mother experienced headache and body malaise.
Overall, the vaccinations were a success. Here comes the dampener. The LGUs are now asking hospitals for their stock of second-dose vaccines! The question is, “What happens if no replenishment of supplies comes one month after the SinoVac injections and two months after AstraZeneca?” Our frontliner is worried sick: “What’s going to happen, then? Those who received the first jabs are reduced to the status of half-vaccinated patients?”
Reminds me of then senator Rene Saguisag’s famous analogy when he was pushing for a family planning program. He used the image of a blanket covering father, mother, and baby. As the family grew, the blanket shrank, smaller and smaller as it had to cover more people with additional children joining the family. A blanket for three becomes useless as a blanket for six.
When two doses of a vaccine are required per recipient, can we make do with one, ”bahala na”? A community of half-vaccinateds? This kind of sharing is not Christian – it’s insane!
Speaking of insane, comes now a draft proposal – daft! – of the Department of Hysterics to bar companies selling liquor, tobacco, infant milk, beverages and the like from procuring vaccines for their employees and their families. When it needs all the help it can get to vaccinate the greatest number in the shortest time, DOH plans to put up roadblocks to slow down the campaign.
If those products are not good for the health why are they being sold for mass consumption? What next, Doc?
Jullie Y. Daza
All this time, our little brains are being overwhelmed by huge numbers – daily infections, vaccine doses, violations and violators, economic devastation, etc.
Bite-size stories from people at ground zero, one at a time, are more easy to chew on. For example, a medical frontliner recounted how she and her colleagues were escorted by armed policemen when they picked up the vaccines – free but priceless! -- from the DOH office. The inoculations went well, with reports of “minor” side effects: none from SinoVac, flu-like symptoms from AstraZeneca.
This frontliner said two girls experienced different outcomes from AstraZeneca. For one, it was high fever, 39 C. For the other girl, tachycardia or abnormally fast heartbeat, for days afterward. The two girls’ mother experienced headache and body malaise.
Overall, the vaccinations were a success. Here comes the dampener. The LGUs are now asking hospitals for their stock of second-dose vaccines! The question is, “What happens if no replenishment of supplies comes one month after the SinoVac injections and two months after AstraZeneca?” Our frontliner is worried sick: “What’s going to happen, then? Those who received the first jabs are reduced to the status of half-vaccinated patients?”
Reminds me of then senator Rene Saguisag’s famous analogy when he was pushing for a family planning program. He used the image of a blanket covering father, mother, and baby. As the family grew, the blanket shrank, smaller and smaller as it had to cover more people with additional children joining the family. A blanket for three becomes useless as a blanket for six.
When two doses of a vaccine are required per recipient, can we make do with one, ”bahala na”? A community of half-vaccinateds? This kind of sharing is not Christian – it’s insane!
Speaking of insane, comes now a draft proposal – daft! – of the Department of Hysterics to bar companies selling liquor, tobacco, infant milk, beverages and the like from procuring vaccines for their employees and their families. When it needs all the help it can get to vaccinate the greatest number in the shortest time, DOH plans to put up roadblocks to slow down the campaign.
If those products are not good for the health why are they being sold for mass consumption? What next, Doc?