MOH reiterates: Vaccines are safe, COVID-19 cases declining in BARMM

COTABATO CITY – According to officials of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Covid-19 cases in the Bangsamoro region have been significantly declining mainly due to the vaccination efforts of the ministry.
 
Nearly half a million or 481,159 residents have already been vaccinated in the 63 vaccination hubs across BARMM, with 283,107 individuals fully vaccinated while 198,052 received their first dose.
 
MOH Deputy Minister Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas assured the public that the vaccines are safe and meet optimum efficiency and efficacy.
 
“We are assuring the public that the vaccines being used in the roll-out are safe, effective against Covid-19, and not an expired one,” Dr. Abas said in a press conference on Oct. 20.
 
On the other hand, MOH Director-General  Dr. Ameril Usman stressed that “Nakikita natin yung trend na talagang bumababa ang kaso ng Covid dito sa atin sa BARMM […] Talagang malaking tulong po yung pagbabakuna ng ating populasyon.”
 
“Because of the vaccination efforts na ginagawa natin, ngayon bumababa yung mga death rate natin at bumababa rin po yung kaso ng severe to moderate cases ng Covid sa BARMM,” Usman added.
 
Meanwhile, MOH Minister Dr. Bashary Latiph said that recovery rate in the BARMM is also very high with 90.2% or about 12,938 total patients recovered from the 14,337 total cases in the region.
 
“From March 2019 up to now, we had a total of 14,337 cases of Covid-19 in BARMM in which it only represents about 0.52% of the nationwide cases with a total of 2,727,286,” Minister Latiph said.
 
Latiph also emphasized that BARMM remains to have the smallest number of Covid-19 cases among all the regions in the country.
 
As of October 21, there are 872 active cases in the region, 574 deaths, and 13,097 recoveries from the 14,543 total cases. (Bangsamoro Information Office)