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The Department of Health (DOH) condemned a little-known pharmacologist for endangering people鈥檚 lives by trying to dissuade people from getting a COVID-19 vaccine that has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective.
鈥淭he DOH condemns health professionals who have been spreading false information regarding life-saving interventions such as COVID-19 vaccines,鈥� the DOH said. 鈥淚t is especially irresponsible as the country continues to face the threat of the more infectious Delta variant.鈥�
The DOH slammed Dr. Romeo Quijano, a retired pharmacologist from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) for spreading 鈥渇alse information鈥� regarding vaccines and claiming that 鈥渋nfluential groups鈥� he did not identify are hiding the true adverse effects and deaths related to vaccines.
In addition to his false claims that vaccines are unsafe, Quijano also came under fire for promoting the veterinary medicine ivermectin as a COVID-19 prophylactic when the global scientific consensus warned against its use.
The health department said there was 鈥渁 growing number of real-world evidence globally鈥� that consistently show the beneficial effects of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
In a separate statement, the UPCM Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology said it 鈥渟upports evidence-based approaches to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccination,鈥� and the evidence they have studied shows that the benefits of inoculation far outweigh the risks, if any.