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The earliest we can get monkeypox vaccine in the Philippines is 2023

By Luisa Angeles and Laurice Angeles

August 13, 2022

In the science world last week:

The earliest the Philippines can get monkeypox vaccines is 2023
Makati City declares climate emergency
Back-to-school: Students urged to get COVID-19 boosters

Other interesting stuff:

Cellular recovery—can animals be brought back to life?
Did you hear about the three-legged coconut tree in Masbate?

‘A nurse holds a monkeypox vaccination at the Northwell Health Immediate Care Center at Fire Island-Cherry Grove, in New York, U.S., July 15, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo’ (Photo via Inquirer.net)

The Department of Health says they are currently working with the private sector and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to secure monkeypox vaccines. Although the earliest that they can get these vaccines to the Philippines is 2023, the agency is working on getting a few doses for healthcare workers in the country sooner.

Wait, a monkeypox vaccine already exists?

Fortunately, for all of us, yes—a monkeypox vaccine already exists. In the US, there are two existing vaccines—JYNNEOS and ACAM2000.

JYNNEOS

- Approved for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox.
- Administered subcutaneously (beneath the skin) as two doses, given four weeks apart.
- An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) was issued to allow for intradermal (between layers of the skin) administration. A lower amount is needed if administered intradermally, increasing overall vaccine supply.

Under an EUA, the US Food and Drug Administration may authorize unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products for serious diseases.

ACAM 2000

Originally approved for smallpox disease
Now approved for monkeypox under an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug protocol.

Expanded access refers to the use of investigational drugs to treat a disease rather than to obtain information that is typically obtained from clinical trials.

In the meantime, how can I protect myself from monkeypox?

Wash your hands frequently—we all know the drill. Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Do this especially before eating or touching your face.
Avoid skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash. Better safe than sorry!
Avoid contact with objects used by a person who has monkeypox. It is known to spread when touching objects or surfaces.

Makati City declares climate emergency

‘People walk in the business district of Makati City. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file’

“We understood the science. We are feeling its impact… We need to act fast.”

Makati City has declared last week a state of climate emergency to lead local efforts to address the effects of climate change on the ground.

Low-lying and coastal areas in Makati are experiencing some of the worst effects of strong typhoons and rising sea levels, according to Mayor Abby Binay, who issued the declaration.

Stronger typhoons are known effects of climate change coming from heavier atmospheres caused by higher ocean temperatures. The Philippines has witnessed this starting way back with Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 where the country experienced historic floods and hundreds of deaths.

Why does the Philippines experience many of climate change’s effects?

The Philippines is along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region along the rim of the Pacific Ocean where most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

The country also faces the west side of the Pacific. And so, the islands are hit by around 20 tropical cyclones each year, with little else to absorb the typhoon's energy before hitting land.

In 2019, the Philippines is the most susceptible country to hazards due to climate change.

The Global Peace Index showed that 47% of the country’s population is highly exposed to earthquakes, tsunami, floods, tropical cyclones, and drought.

The Philippines has yet to declare a climate emergency. However, progressive groups have long been calling for the need to declare a climate emergency. They assert that government officials should be held accountable for responding to climate issues.

Back to school: Students urged to get COVID-19 boosters ahead of classes

Photo via Philippine News Agency

Back to school!

Students were urged to get their COVID-19 booster shots ahead of the face-to-face classes to start this month.

COVID-19 boosters can further enhance protection that might have decreased over time from the primary series vaccination.

Here are the recommendations for boosters by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

One booster shot:

Everyone ages five and older

Two booster shots:

Adults 50 years and older
Moderately to severely immunocompromised people 12 years and older

Some 15.9 million Filipinos have already received the COVID-19 booster shot, and another 1.2 million have received the second booster shot last week.

Other interesting stuff:

Photo via CNN

Cellular recovery—can animals be brought back to life?

Scientists from Yale University have recovered cells and organs of pigs that had been dead for an hour using treatment that involves synthetic blood.

The research shows that cell death is not instantaneous but is rather a complex biological process like “a cascade of dominoes” that can be potentially stopped or reversed.

Their goal, however, is not to bring animals back to life, but to expand knowledge on human organ transplants.

Photo via Coverstory.ph

Three-legged coconut tree in Masbate

Did you know?

There exists a three-legged adult coconut tree in Masbate, which is a result of two separate earthquakes that are 17 years apart—one in 2003, and another in 2020.

In geological terms, the occurrence of two quakes 17 years apart along the same fault segment is an "extreme rarity".

The Faraday

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