The Department of Health said on Friday vaccination sites no longer need to screen the vital signs of individuals shortly before inoculation.
The Philippine Society of Hypertension and the Philippine Heart Association, according to Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire, ruled that only those with hypertension should undergo vital screening.
“We issued a policy regarding this matter that vital signs screening should not be included anymore as part of our process,” Vergeire said.
“Health workers only need to monitor those with established hypertension and those who have organ damage,” she added.
A separate lane should also be created for those who need to be closely observed due to their medical history, she said.
The revised guidelines on the process in vaccination sites come as the country works to increase its daily average number of people vaccinated against COVID-19.
Vergeire said local governments should implement the revised guidelines to shorten the lines of people waiting to get their jabs,
As of May 13, the Philippines has vaccinated between 67,000 and 83,000 people daily, according to data from the DOH.
Officials hope to have at least 100,000 people inoculated per day as more vaccines arrive in the country, Vergeire said.
The Philippines hopes to administer the jabs to at least 70 million people by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity as over 1 million people have been infected with the disease.
