Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo joined the growing number of concerned government officials who reminded of the importance of receiving the second dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine.

Panelo made the appeal as he cited the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report that Covid-19 vaccination has prevented the spike in coronavirus infections and deaths.

“Dapat ‘yung publiko, ‘yung mga naturukan na noong una, magpaturok kayo ng dalawa para siguradong protektado na kayo ng pagkamaselan na sakit ng coronavirus (People who received the first shot should also get inoculated with the second dose in order for them to be surely protected against the coronavirus),” Panelo said during his commentary show “Counterpoint” on Saturday.

Still, vaccinated individuals must continue to follow minimum public health standards since there is no guarantee that they will no longer catch Covid-19.

As of June 20, no hospitalization and deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded after 14 days among those who received the second dose, based on a preliminary data by FDA Director General Eric Domingo.

Only 33 Covid-19 infections have been reported among 1.6 individuals who received the two doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine, Domingo noted.

On the other hand, one of 428,000 individuals who have been fully-vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine and one out of 82,800 individuals vaccinated with two Pfizer shots were infected.

There have been no infections recorded among 14,000 individuals who received the full dose of Sputnik V.

Domingo said the recorded infections were all mild cases.

Common reactions after Covid-19 vaccination include increased blood pressure, pain in the injection site, headache, fever, dizziness, rashes, and respiratory symptoms.

No local events of blood clotting and myocarditis have been reported. (PNA)