Philippines DOH, Mad on Power, Needing To Retain Indemnity from Claims of Harm, Requests Extension of The State of Calamity Into a 4th Year!

Despite no evidence of the existence of any calamity, DOH want power to push jabs and continued indemnities from prosecution into 2023. Their key demand is for indemnity as evidence of balloons!

Last September 2022, Philippines DOH requested and was granted a 3-month extension on the State of Calamity which has been in place since March 2020 in order to provide the benefits to DOH that the State of Calamity grants; indemnification, emergency procurement, special risk allowance for healthcare workers.

DOH had been trying to have a bill (establishment of Philippines CDC with indemnification clauses for EUA products) passed to replace the state of calamity. This bill gives the DOH special powers, enables them to use emergency products if recommended by WHO, and gives indemnity from any action resulting from adverse reactions to any emergency used products. That bill did not pass in time to provide the DOH its desired indemnities in time for the expiry of the state of calamity.

Thus DOH has now requested another extension on the current of state of calamity, which will expire on 31 December 2022. Will congress approve?

Specifically, DOH are concerned with extension of use of the EUA vaccines, indemnification from liability, and benefits for health care workers.

Why is the DOH so obsessed with indemnification for it’s safe and effective Covid-19 products.

Meanwhile, the Philippines FDA report that they have approved bivalent Pfizer and Moderna Products last week. However, the EUA documents are not yet published on the FDA website for public scrutiny.

An interesting side note is that the Australian government has quietly rescinded the use of Moderna products for all Australians starting mid-December 2022.

It is certainly interesting that Australia is no longer recommending Moderna, right in the middle of yet another wave of infections and deaths! Compare Australia and Philippines. Key is that Philippines has accepted very few boosters, Australia has had very many!

Note: I do suspect that cases are far higher in the Philippines than are being reported. My immediately family have just had an apparent Covid-19 infection with distinct symptoms; 1 day getting sick, 1 day very unwell, 3 days recovery, and then it was over. The rest of us had infections last January and were unaffected this round despite very close contact. None of us received the products and we have seen first-hand that our immune systems handled everything just fine. Much ado about very little for us. From discussions with local contacts, most people here no longer bother test let alone to report.

Perhaps Philippines DOH should be exploring further why these products are being withdrawn. Philippines relatively better covid-19 situation may be due to Philippines poor uptake of boosters. Boosters which are proving to be the final blow to immune integrity of recipients. The dam is breaking! DOH cannot avoid the deluge, indemnities or otherwise!

Filipinos are smart! They no longer want these jabs. They refuse these jabs. DOH has better things to focus on like TB, HIV, malnutrition, dengue, among others, which are real health scourges!

Take no more than you have already taken! Your health depends on it!

I know I am speaking to the converted. I hope I will be speaking to newly converted as well! May our community grow and swell! May we support each other and be empathetic as we move forwards.