3,000 head to San Lazaro Hospital daily for rabies shots

From the previous 1,000 patients per day, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila is now seeing about 3,000 people needing rabies shots daily amid low vaccine supply in some local government units. 

According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, the hospital said the number of patients should not have to reach this level because local governments should have animal bite centers.

However, they said they noticed that the supply of vaccines in the local government units is low, so many patients depend on the hospital.

“May trained na doctor at nurse sa mga bite center sa local government units na dapat makakapag-cater sa ating animal bite patients pero kahit may trained na doctors and nurses kung walang bakuna mabibigay mapipilitan sila magpunta dito,” said Dr. Jerick Luigi de Villa, Animal Bite and Rabies Coordinator, San Lazaro Hospital. 

(There are trained doctors and nurses in bite centers in local government units who should be able to cater to our animal bite patients, but even if there are trained doctors and nurses, if no vaccine is given they will be forced to come here.) 

De Villa said he fears that there may be patients who are not getting the care they need due to the lack of vaccination sites.

“Kung malayo yang bina-biyahe nung pasyente simula sa bayan papunta sa local health center tapos pagpunta sa health center sasabihin na hindi available hindi maiiwasan may pasyente sa pagka-dismayam uuwi na lang sila,” he said.

(If the patient is traveling a long distance from the town to the local health center and then the health center says the vaccine is not available, some patients will inevitably be disappointed and they will just go home.)

That is dangerous, especially since the number of human rabies cases recorded by the DOH increased this year.

A total of 169 rabies cases have been recorded in the Philippines in just the first five months of 2024, a 13% jump from the same period last year. Of these 169 cases, 160 were fatalities. 

According to experts, if bitten by a dog or scratched by a cat, wash the wound well and consult a doctor immediately within 24 hours.

The Manila local government unit said their supply of anti-rabies vaccine is sufficient. Patients just need to go to designated animal bite centers.

"Kung mapupunta sila sa ibang regular na health centers, doon talagang walang anti-rabies vaccines doon for humans,” said Manila City spokesperson Princess Abante. 

(If they go to other regular health centers, there are no anti-rabies vaccines there for humans.) 

The DOH also said that there is no problem with the vaccine supply at the national level.

"Posibleng mayroon tayong distribution problem ng bakuna. Kasi at national level, wala tayong scarcity, meaning nationwide,” said DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Albert Domingo. 

(It is possible that we have a vaccine distribution problem. Because at the national level, we don't have scarcity, meaning nationwide.)

GMA Integrated News is still trying to reach the DILG, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines for comment regarding the rabies vaccine supply.

The Department of Health added that as rabies cases continue to increase, they support the agriculture department's request for an additional budget of P110 million for the vaccination of 22 million dogs and cats.

 “[The] shorter solution is to provide the budget to the Department of Agriculture as they have requested, tapos sila na 'yung bibili nung bakuna at national level na ipamimigay sa ating mga local government [then they are the ones who will buy the vaccine and distribute it to our local governments at the national level],” said Domingo. — Sherylin Untalan/BM, GMA Integrated News