MANILA – Giving a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine shot in the buttocks – as what President Rodrigo Duterte wishes – is an option, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
According to DOH undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the COVID-19 vaccine can be inoculated in the butt if the arm of the receiver of the vaccine is not muscular enough.
“Most of the vaccines are given intramuscular. Ibig sabihin, ipapasok o isasaksak mo sa muscle, at siya na (muscle) ang bahalang magpakalat sa katawan natin,” Vergeire said at Laging Handa virtual presser on Wednesday.
“Pag sinabing intramuscular, ang common practice po sa vaccine ay sa deltoid area (uppermost part of the arm). Pag hindi puwede sa deltoid area kasi masyado ng emaciated, meaning payat na payat, ibibigay natin [ang bakuna] sa ibang parte ng katawan na muscular. Puwede sa anterolateral part of the thigh o puwede rin po sa puwet o upper part ng butt,” she added.
During his virtual presser on Tuesday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque justified President Duterte’s decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine privately since he will be vaccinated in his butt.
Meanwhile, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) undersecretary Eric Domingo said the public may choose which appropriate part of their body they want to be injected.
“Meron namang dahilan kung bakit. Halimbawa ayaw niya (vaccine recipient) sa braso, maaari naman. Kamukha noong mga halimbawa, ‘yung bakuna na nagpepeklat sa braso, may mga ganoon na gusto nila sa puwet para kung magpeklat, tago,” Domingo said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
Domingo further said that those who will administer the COVID-19 vaccine will be trained on administering the vaccines on different body parts according to the patient’s requests.
“Dapat po kasi sa muscle siya dahil intramuscular ang injection ng mga bakuna na ito, kaya usually kung saan ‘yung pinaka-acccesible na muscle na walang mapipinsala or matatamaan, doon tayo. Kaya ang common site talaga is sa braso dahil walang nerves diyan at blood vessels,” Domingo said.
“So maaari naman ‘yun. Hindi naman siya kapag sinabi mo na dito ko gusto, sasabihin sayo, ‘ayoko, kailangan sa braso.’ Hindi rin naman dahil talagang may consent naman dapat ng pasyente,” he added. /PN
