CDC Ph Press Statement on SP Sotto and PAO Chief Acosta defense of unvaccinated people

CDC Ph lauds SP Sotto, PAO chief for defending rights of unvaccinated individuals
January 20, 2021

The Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines recently praised Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta for speaking up for the rights of unvaccinated individuals.

CDC Ph president Dr. Homer Lim said that the country urgently needs people like Sotto and Acosta, who are willing to openly defend the unvaccinated, a group that has been the target of discriminatory policies from goverment.

“The reason there’s an equal protection clause in the Constitution is to ensure that the majority cannot bully the minority,” Lim said. “But that’s exactly what’s happening now. First it was no vax, no work; now it’s no vax, no ride; in the end it will be no vax, no rights.”

Sotto attends CDC Ph weekly huddle

Sotto recently attended a weekly huddle organized by CDC Ph to hear out the sentiments of concerned citizens, who requested the solon to raise the issue of unconstitutional mandates and policies on the Senate floor.

Sotto described current ordinances and executive orders targeted at unvaccinated individuals as “at the very least, debatable.”

He promised to tackle these concerns in the Senate as soon as it can be accommodated in the body’s official calendar.

Sotto also invited representatives of CDC Ph to contribute to legislative discussions when he delivers a privilege speech either to the appropriate Senate committee or the committee of the whole.

“My call to government is to concentrate more on prevention and treatment. I think this is a very good answer to what we’re experiencing right now,” he added.

PAO Chief airs appeal to LGUs

Meanwhile, PAO Chief Persida Acosta, in a video widely shared over Facebook, appealed to local government units not to discriminate against unvaccinated individuals.

“There is no law making vaccination mandatory, so let’s not take away the right to work away from unvaccinated individuals,” Acosta said. “Our bodies are a gift from God, so only the individual has the right to make decisions about their body.” 

Acosta also asked barangay officials to refrain from violence and remember that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated enjoy equal rights and protections under  the law.

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STATEMENT FROM THE FAME LEADERS ACADEMY (FLA)
January 10, 2022

URGENT MESSAGE FOR DOH/IATF/MMDA

We believe we must call the attention of our health and other officials for two serious miscalculations they are committing, unwittingly fuelling the spread of the virus.

First is the continuing mass vaccination/boostering in the midst of an outbreak. With a 44% positivity rate, that means that almost every other individual in a crowd seeking vaccination may carry the virus. Most of these are either asymptomatic or with very mild symptoms they don’t attribute to Covid-19. It’s never sound medicine to administer vaccination during a massive infectious outbreak. It will not prevent the current surge since the antibodies will be formed two weeks after vaccination. Meanwhile they were likely exposed to the virus during the vaccination and there’s a strong possibility they will develop the disease, instead of preventing it.

In the last two weeks, many patients developed Covid-19 within a week of their vaccination or boostering, and the infected individual also infected the whole family and household. So it’s possible the mass vaccination is contributory to the omicron spread. It has also been established that this variant can escape vaccine immunity, as shown by increased breakthrough rates in those who received full vaccination or booster shots in Israel and United Kingdom. So there’s no rationale for rushing the boostering or primary vaccination to prevent omicron infection.

The second grave miscalculation is restricting the movements of those who are unvaccinated, including those with previous infection.

Multiple studies have already shown that with the delta, and likely much more so with the omicron, the viral loads in both the fully vaccinated and the unvaccinated are similar or equivalent, suggesting that their potential to infect others is of similar risk. 

Furthermore, it’s safe to assume that the vaccinated, who are generally asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic  are unwittingly infecting more people than the unvaccinated, who are generally more symptomatic; hence, they stay home and isolate themselves. Meanwhile, their asymptomatic and vaccinated counterparts go around, doing their usual activities, without realizing they’re infecting many others they come in contact with. Many vaccinated individuals also have the false impression and confidence that they’re protected by the vaccines so they can let their guard down with regards to safety protocols, unlike the unvaccinated, who remain conscious of their susceptibility to Covid-19 and need for strict adherence to prescribed health protocols. A case in point is the case of the Poblacion girl.

So, urgent actions we recommend our health officials may consider to take, are the following:

Immediately suspend mass vaccination in hotbed areas.

Advise those who get vaccinated to remain in quarantine for 5 days.

Educate the public on the equal potential to get infected and infect others, in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Educate the public on early treatment protocols that can be immediately taken to relieve symptoms, boost the immune system and enhance elimination of virus. Early diagnostic (rapid antigen testing) and treatment kits should be provided to indigent barangays. 

Provide free, or make readily available at a controlled pricing rapid antigen testing for home use. This will reduce hospital and clinic consultations, and prevent congestion that can lead to an artificial healthcare exhaustion. More teleconsultations by volunteer doctors should also be made available.

Recall any directive, ordinances or resolutions discriminating against the unvaccinated, inflicting much harm on their physical and mental health.

Reassure the public that this omicron surge will soon be over and there is no need to panic and hoard on medicines. Data from other countries suggest that only 1-2 out of 1,000 Covid-19 patients with the omicron variant may die from it. The risk of dying from it is similar to the ordinary flu. The good news is that those who get infected with it will develop an “updated” natural immunity to Covid-19, which is most likely superior to what any current vaccines could provide.

HUDSON PELAYO
Dean, FLA

RAFAEL R. CASTILLO, MD
Dean Emeritus, FLA