IMEE: TEST, TEST, TEST - VACCINATION NOT ENOUGH

As fear of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron spreads worldwide, Senator Imee Marcos has urged health authorities in government and the private sector to promptly take up the World Health Organization's offer to share new blood-testing technology meant for free manufacture and easy use in rural areas.

Marcos said increasing the country's testing capacity "now more than ever" by acquiring the new technology will buttress the national jab program that is still troubled by public hesitancy, insufficient cold storage and transport to island and mountain provinces, and a looming global shortage of syringe needles.

"Mass vaccination alone is not enough for pandemic control if new variants like Delta and Omicron keep emerging. We need to get ahead of their spread through early detection and isolation, if we don't want more blanket lockdowns and a further drag on our economy," the Senate economic affairs committee chairman explained, ahead of the government's three-day mass vaccination push starting Monday.

Marcos added that health experts are now preparing for a scenario that Omicron may render vaccines less effective, with numerous mutations detected in its spike protein that allows the virus to enter human cells.

The new blood-testing technology developer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Spanish National Research Council), has signed a licensing agreement with the WHO's COVID-19 Technology Access Pool and the Medicine Patent Pool to waive its royalties until the last patent expires and to teach and train sub-licensees.

"The government and health industry players should acquire sub-licenses being offered for free to learn and manufacture this technology. It's a solution to vaccine inequity in low- and middle-income countries, in our poorer municipalities," Marcos said.

Rural areas that have basic laboratory infrastructure can use the new technology that detects COVID-19 antibodies activated by infection or vaccination, with results readable to the naked eye, the WHO announced.

The Philippines has fully vaccinated some 40 million or 36% of the country's estimated 111 million people but is hard put to meet its 70-percent target by yearend.

Although the country's infection rate has gone down from a high of more than 26,000 per day in September to less than 1,000 the past week, Marcos warned that "we are not immune to a pandemic resurgence now taking place in Africa and Europe."

"With fewer Covid cases and Christmas approaching, our celebratory mood may throw caution to the wind. Let's get those sub-licenses, increase our testing capacity, and guard our future," Marcos said.

IMEE: TEST, TEST, TEST - PAGBAKUNA HINDI SAPAT

Sa gitna ng pagkabahala ng buong mundo sa bagong COVID-19 variant na Omicron, hinimok ni Senador Imee Marcos ang gobyerno at pribadong sektor na samantalahin ang alok ng World Health Organization na makabagong blood-testing technology na walang paghigpit sa paggawa at madaling gamitin sa kanayunan.

Ani Marcos, dapat palakasin ng bansa ang kapasidad sa testing "ngayon, higit pa kaysa dati" gamit ang naturang teknolohiya upang suportahan ang national vaccination program na naaabala pa rin ng pag-aatubili ng publiko, kawalan ng maayos na imbakan at aberya sa paghahatid sa mga malalayong isla at mga bulubunduking lugar, gayundin ang lumulobong kakapusan ng karayom ng mga hiringgilya sa buong mundo.

"Hindi sapat ang pagbabakuna lang para makontrol ang pandemya dahil sa patuloy na paglitaw ng mga variant gaya ng Delta at Omicron. Kailangan maagap tayo sa pagkalat ng virus, sa pamamagitan ng mas maagang pagtukoy at paghihiwalay sa mga tinamaan, kung ayaw nating bumalik sa malawakang lockdown at humina lalo ang ating ekonomiya," paliwanag ng Senate economic affairs committee chairman, bago pa man ang tatlong araw na puspusang pagbakuna simula Lunes.

Dagdag ni Marcos, naghahanda na ang mga eksperto kung sakaling mabawasan ang bisa ng mga bakuna dahil sa Omicron, na natuklasang paulit-ulit na nag-ibang anyo mula sa orihinal na virus at maaaring mas madaling makapasok sa katawan ng tao.

Nilagdaan na ng WHO at ng blood-testing technology developer na Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Spanish National Research Council) ang kasunduan na wala nang babayaran ang mga kukuha ng lisensya sa paggawa ng nasabing teknolohiya at tuturuan pa sila kung paano ito gagamitin.

"Ang gobyerno at ang ating industriyang pangkalusugan ay dapat makakuha ng nasabing lisensya. Solusyon ito sa hindi patas na pagbahagi ng mga bakuna sa mga mahihirap at middle income na bansa, gayundin sa ating mga mahihirap na munisipalidad," ani Marcos.

Ang mga rural area na may simpleng laboratoryo ay pwedeng gumamit ng nasabing teknolohiya na madaling nakakatukoy ng COVID-19 antibodies bunga ng impeksyon o pagbabakuna, anunsyo pa ng WHO.

Sa kasalukuyan nasa 40 milyon na ang fully vaccinated na Pilipino o 36% ng tinatayang populasyon na 111 milyon, pero hamon pa rin sa gobyerno na maabot ang target na 70% bago matapos ang taon.

Bagamat bumaba ang infection rate mula sa lampas 26,000 kada araw noong Setyembre hanggang sa hindi na umabot sa 1,000 nuong nakaraang linggo, nagbabala si Marcos na walang ligtas sa muling pagsiklab ng pandemya na nangyayari ngayon sa Africa at Europa.

"Sa harap ng kumokonti nang kaso ng Covid at papalapit na pagdiriwang ng kapaskuhan, baka balewalain lang ang mga paalala sa pag-iingat sa virus. Kunin na natin ang kailangang lisensya upang madagdagan ang ating testing capacity at mabantayan ang ating kinabukasan," giit ni Marcos.