I know I have been saying it since Cebu started its vaccine rollout sometime in March, but members of the public who are still not vaccinated should get the jab when they have the chance.
If you don’t trust me because I’m not a medical professional, then don’t take my word for it. Listen instead to what Dr. Gerardo Aquino has to say.
To those who don’t know, Aquino is the medical chief of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. And he has been medical chief for a long, long, long time.
He said most of those admitted for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) are unvaccinated. We’re talking 94 out of 113. He also said that all recorded mortalities in the hospital, as of July 28, 2021, were also unvaccinated.
“But the difference man gud kung bakunado ka, either asympotamatic ka or mild ra imong mga symptoms (compared to those unvaccinated). Naay big possibility nga you go to the either moderate, severe or critical (if you’re unvaccinated),” Aquino said.
Critics, doubters and conspiracy theorists are quick to point out persons who had been vaccinated against Covid but did not survive the illness. Of course, they also fail to mention that the majority if not all of these victims were either old, meaning they were above 60 years of age, or had an existing medical condition.
I’m not saying nor is the medical community saying the vaccine is 100 percent effective. That everyone who is inoculated will be immune from death. Because, let’s face it, you don’t get the heads up when it’s your time to go. There will always be that one special case. There is no such thing as a 100 percent guarantee against anything. And I’m yammering.
Aquino then advised everyone to get whatever vaccine is available. Don’t heed China bashers. The Middle Kingdom never subjugated residents of this archipelago. It didn’t try to mold us into little yellow brothers. Of course, that’s beside the point and I digress.
At this point, especially with the highly transmissible delta variant gallivanting around the country, the “best” vaccine is whatever is available.
So take advantage of what is being offered, especially since the supply is not only limited but it is also sporadic. Bear in mind, the vaccines are shipped from abroad.
Also, we’re still a long way from achieving herd immunity. Only close to 300,000 individuals in Cebu are fully vaccinated. That’s not even 10 percent of Cebu’s total population of more than four million.
So what are you all waiting for? There’s a 10 percent discount for fully vaccinated individuals at most fastfood restaurants.