CDC: Philippines 'high' travel-risk for COVID-19

PalawOne Serial expat

728POSTS

3 years ago

US CDC adds Philippines to 'high' travel risk for COVID-19

By Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News Aug 16 2022 02:14 PM

Ref: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/16/22/us-cdc-adds-ph-to-high-travel-risk-for-covid-19

News: MANILA (UPDATE) — Three countries, including the Philippines, were added by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to its "high" risk list for travel due to COVID-19.

Manila joined Nepal and Russia in the Level 3 group, described as having "High Level of COVID-19," according to CDC's travel health notice uploaded Tuesday, local time.

"Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to the Philippines," the US top health agency said. "If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to the Philippines." (snip)

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ref: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-3/coronavirus-philippines

Quote: Level 3: High Level of COVID-19 in the Philippines

Key Information for Travelers to the Philippines

Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to the Philippines.

If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to the Philippines.

Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19.

Anyone 2 years or older should properly wear a well-fitting mask in indoor public spaces.

If you have a weakened immune system or are at increased risk for severe disease, even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, talk with your clinician about your risk, and consider delaying travel to the Philippines.

Follow all requirements and recommendations in the Philippines.

See also

The health system in the Philippines - Guide
Medicare in the Philippines - 2 Replies
Medicare in the Philippines - 53 Replies
Post-Covid-19 situation in the Philippines - 16 Replies
Travelling out of Philippines - 18 Replies
Foreigner COVID-19 Vaccinations - 60 Replies
Covid 19 certification - 4 Replies

Lotus Eater ViP

1965POSTS

3 years ago

@PalawOne

Lets keep the above news in proportion and without the dramatics. Viewers reading the above post maybe put off visiting the Philippines because only two countries are mentioned as being in Level 3 Group namely Nepal & Russia with negative connotations.

In fact most of Europe including Canada and Australia are already in this group. No need to panic.

Anyone who is in a high risk group would be foolish to travel anywhere especially in a 'toothpaste tube' where germs are readily spread.

What is newsworthy is that the UK in the last 24 hours has just approved a new Moderna vaccine targeting the original covid 19 strain and Omicron variant which will be rolled out from September 1st for those who want it.

Cherryann01 ViP

1273POSTS

3 years ago

@Lotus Eater Yeh and who wants to go to Russia anyway, I am sure that is on the list of do not travel to by most Government websites around the world.for a different reason.

PalawOne Serial expat

728POSTS

3 years ago

Lets keep the above news in proportion and without the dramatics ..

The original post consists entirely of quotes from ABS-CBN News and the CDC.

As such they are news reports. To what dramatics are you referring my friend?

Anyone who is in a high risk group would be foolish to travel anywhere especially in a 'toothpaste tube' where germs are readily spread.

Agreed .. even though that does sound rather dramatic

What is newsworthy is that the UK in the last 24 hours has just approved a new Moderna vaccine targeting the original covid 19 strain and Omicron variant which will be rolled out from September 1st for those who want it. - @Lotus Eater

That's interesting news .. and so, do you have a reference?

Cherryann01 ViP

1273POSTS

3 years ago

Lets keep the above news in proportion and without the dramatics ..

The original post consists entirely of quotes from ABS-CBN News and the CDC.
As such they are news reports. To what dramatics are you referring my friend?

Anyone who is in a high risk group would be foolish to travel anywhere especially in a 'toothpaste tube' where germs are readily spread.
Agreed .. even though that sounds rather dramatic
What is newsworthy is that the UK in the last 24 hours has just approved a new Moderna vaccine targeting the original covid 19 strain and Omicron variant which will be rolled out from September 1st for those who want it. - @Lotus Eater
That's interesting news .. and so, do you have a reference?

I can confirm Lotus Eaters news about the new Moderna Vaccine

- @PalawOne

PalawOne Serial expat

728POSTS

3 years ago

@Cherryann01 kindly writes: "I can confirm Lotus Eaters news about the new Moderna Vaccine"

Ah, thanks Cherryann. That's great science news then, and will be very welcome all around the world.

manwonder ViP

1904POSTS

3 years ago

This is an ongoing issue in many other countries too...not just in the Philippines...

The CDC advises that you get up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines before traveling to a Level 3 destination. Being "up to date" means you have had not only the full initial vaccinations but any boosters for which you're eligible.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnn.co … index.html

pnwcyclist Philippines Expert

1489POSTS

3 years ago

We have been traveling and back and forth to another island a lot, and eating in restaurants, so I suppose it was inevitable that I got it at the end of July, despite being fully vaxxed and double boosted (3 months since last one). It was pretty rough for the first few days. Fever, high heart rate of 95 (my HR is normally 60), and wheezing (I have mild asthma, usually not a problem ). I made liberal use of my inhaler and a paracetamol morning and night, and hot ginger lemon tea made by my GF. Isolated in one bedroom for the duration.

After a few days those T-cells (the secondary protection from the vaccine) apparently kicked in and took care of it. By Day 5 I felt fine but continued to test positive for 10 days. My girlfriend and her son never got it or if they did they were asymptomatic. I will add that I resumed cycling at a reduced pace in the mountains after 5 days which really helped clear things out. I would not want to have gotten Covid without being fully vaxxed and boosted, as I suspected all along I would have lung issues, which turned out to be the case. Could have been way worse.

Enzyte Bob ViP

4294POSTS

3 years ago

We have been traveling and back and forth to another island a lot, and eating in restaurants, so I suppose it was inevitable that I got it at the end of July, despite being fully vaxxed and double boosted (3 months since last one). It was pretty rough for the first few days. Fever, high heart rate of 95 (my HR is normally 60), and wheezing (I have mild asthma, usually not a problem ). I made liberal use of my inhaler and a paracetamol morning and night, and hot ginger lemon tea made by my GF. Isolated in one bedroom for the duration.

After a few days those T-cells (the secondary protection from the vaccine) apparently kicked in and took care of it. By Day 5 I felt fine but continued to test positive for 10 days. My girlfriend and her son never got it or if they did they were asymptomatic. I will add that I resumed cycling at a reduced pace in the mountains after 5 days which really helped clear things out. I would not want to have gotten Covid without being fully vaxxed and boosted, as I suspected all along I would have lung issues, which turned out to be the case. Could have been way worse.
- @pnwcyclist

It goes to show us, You can run but not hide from Covid's.

Glad you are feeling better

PalawOne Serial expat

728POSTS

3 years ago

#10

Bob writes, "Glad you are feeling better."

Yes, we agree whole-heartedly.

And, please, take good care everyone.

Our world expat.com forum community needs YOU

mahi948 Active member

40POSTS

3 years ago

#11

@PalawOne cdc ***

The same group that watched blacks infected with std's to die slowly just because .

Telling them everything was fine. That would have been a secret for ever if a man with a soul had not blew the whistle.

And now evidence from study outside of usa showing natural immunity is TWENTY SEVEN times stronger than the risky uneeded vaccine for a flu with a recovery rate of 99.98 . Here's to anything from the CDC and " I AM science" fockchie 🖕

Moderated by Bhavna 3 years ago
Reason : Improper language
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct

mahi948 Active member

40POSTS

3 years ago

#12

@PalawOne Natural immunity 27 times stronger than the all wonderful vaccine .

Kept secret by the afore mentioned "cdc"***

Moderated by Bhavna 3 years ago
Reason : External website
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct

sekmet Contributor

108POSTS

3 years ago

#13

@mahi948 : that post is gone. Do you have a link to it from somewhere else?

danfinn ViP

1935POSTS

3 years ago

#14

@PalawOne As if the US (my country) is low risk for contractung covid! Omicron is everywhere there. I believe CDC has lost all credibility because Fauci and Co. have politicized CDC so much. For example, they caved in to teachers unions to lock down school attendance for kids. CDC should just be dismantled; they really do not do anything useful except enforce the political will of the democrat party. My wife and I recently had omicron and IT IS NOT THAT BAD. Not worth a CDC warning! and I also base this on other people I know who contracted the omicron cold. Why is CDC trying to ruin the tourism recovery in the Phils? Is this a message being sent the the government here for some reason, perhaps dissatisfied with lower vax rate and allowing expiration of 20 mil doses and refusing to procure more this year?

Moon Dog Philippines Advisor

974POSTS

3 years ago

#15

You heard it on Facebook so it must be true! So why was it taken down?

Here is what the doctors at Johns Hopkins have to say about it. The way I read it natural immunity is only half as strong, or less, than the vaccine.

"If I have natural immunity do I still need a COVID vaccine?

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are recommended, even if you had COVID-19. At present, evidence from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports getting a COVID-19 vaccine as the best protection against getting COVID-19, whether you have already had the virus or not.

Here are recent research studies that support getting vaccinated even if you have already had COVID-19:

Vaccines add protection.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on Oct. 29, 2021, that says getting vaccinated for the coronavirus when you’ve already had COVID-19 significantly enhances your immune protection and further reduces your risk of reinfection.

A study published in August 2021 indicates that if you had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting re-infected is more than two times higher than for those who got vaccinated after having COVID-19.

Another study published on Nov. 5, 2021, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at adults hospitalized for COVID-like sickness between January and September 2021. This study found that the chances of these adults testing positive for COVID-19 were 5.49 times higher in unvaccinated people who had COVID-19 in the past than they were for those who had been vaccinated for COVID and had not had an infection before.

A study from the CDC in September 2021 showed that roughly one-third of those with COVID-19 cases in the study had no apparent natural immunity."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/ … ed-to-know

danfinn ViP

1935POSTS

3 years ago

#16

@Moon Dog My point is, "who cares"? Look at the statistics, omicron is about as deadly as the common flu which us really a low number. So we should live with it, perhaps add the latest omicron vax to the annual flu shot and live with it, just as we live with the flu. The problem is, they just cannot stop this covid research and vax development on a dime. Too much momentum. Too much covid funding still coming in. My wife and I both received our second pfizer boosters in June at the same time and 1 month later we both contracted omicron at the same tome. There is at least 1 study that claims the original vaccine when boosted leaves you more susceptible to omicron. I'm not using anecdotal evidence to say that is definitely what happened to us but it sure seems that way. Omicron to us was a 3 week productive coughing spell, just an upper respiratory infection that did not make breathing difficult (I am 73). COVID panic is so OVER. We need to learn to live with it and I say screw the CDC covid warnings. People are not dying or even getting hospitalized en masse from omicron; it is just an extended 3 week bad cold.

Bhavna Team

43379POSTS

3 years ago

#17

Hello everyone,

Please note that this thread is not meant for sharing your views on vaccination whether pro or against.

It is merely to inform members about recent events.

Have a nice day,

Bhavna

danfinn ViP

1935POSTS

3 years ago

#18

Right and if you have at least a double digit IQ and read closely with the reading comprehension such people may have, some posts are from FULLY DOUBLE BOOSTED people who may simply be sharing their EXPERIENCES and not necessarily their views on vaccinations, something we would never do as we are not doctors. We also tend to believe in freedom of speech but that is for another day.

Moon Dog Philippines Advisor

974POSTS

3 years ago

#19

In some instances Omicron caused more deaths than Delta.

"Health experts say that Omicron generally causes milder symptom than previous variants. But the death count is high because Omicron spreads quickly and is infecting a large number of people.

“You can have a disease that is for any particular person less deadly than another, like Omicron, but if it is more infectious and reaches more people, then you’re more likely to have a lot of deaths,” Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality-statistics branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, told The Wall Street Journal.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2022012 … from-delta

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n … -rcna29394

Lotus Eater ViP

1965POSTS

3 years ago

#20

@mahi948 : that post is gone. Do you have a link to it from somewhere else?
- @sekmet

The moderators probably did you a favour. You can go back to sleep now.

mahi948 Active member

40POSTS

3 years ago

#21

@sekmet deleted by this site .

Israel is one of the countrys that did the extensive study that found natural immunity to be 27 times stronger.

The CDC with mountains of money does not want that info to be available to the public

Maybe ask the moderateres here to put it back up ..

mahi948 Active member

40POSTS

3 years ago

#22

@sekmet im 63 .not a single vaxx.

I have been here since September 2019 .our friends who are vaxxed all got omicron . Which wasn't a big deal anyways .but I or my wife didnt get it .

Anyways here is the study https://www.imuno-medica.ro/news/Accord … accines-42

Moon Dog Philippines Advisor

974POSTS

3 years ago

#23

I've now read 3 articles on the Israeli study. They must crunch the numbers differently because there is the "27 times the protection" but another says 13 times and the last one I read said 5 times. But in all cases some numbers were the same.

"The results were clear: the rate of confirmed COVID-19 infection revealed a slow but steady waning of immunity over time. Among individuals 60 years or older who were fully vaccinated last January, the number of confirmed breakthrough infections was 3.3 per 1,000 people during the three weeks of the study. Those who were vaccinated in February and March had lower infection rates of 2.2 per 1,000 and 1.7 per 1,000, respectively. The data revealed a similar pattern in those aged 40 to 59 and those aged 16 to 39."

So what they discovered was the vaccine immunity waned faster than expected. Almost 90% of the breakthrough cases were from the 60 and older group who were the first to be vaccinated which means the vaccine had the most time to lose efficacy. A 3rd round of vaccinations was ordered based on these findings and I read they are on the 4th round now.

The numbers are a little deceiving since almost 90% of the breakthroughs were from the first vaccinated group who were counted in the vaccinated column but had lost practically all vaccine immunity. Another point all the articles seem to agree on was natural immunity plus a single jab was best of all. It is ridiculous to say the vaccine reduces immunity which the headlines may lead some to believe.

“Individuals who were both previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and given a single dose of the vaccine gained additional protection against the Delta variant.”

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

3 years ago

#24

@sekmet deleted by this site .
Israel is one of the countrys that did the extensive study that found natural immunity to be 27 times stronger.
- @mahi948This

The now infamous (on this thread) Israeli study took a little time to find, but I managed and I had a quick flick through.

What it actually says is natural immunity amongst people who have had covid was better and longer lasting than those who were vaccinated but never got covid.

Every other study shows the vast majority of people who got jabbed didn't get covid at all, or had minor symptoms, and those who did not have vaccinations got dead a lot more often.

In other words, the anti-vax narrative is a load of old codswollop that relies on total rubbish to make its point.

Moon Dog Philippines Advisor

974POSTS

3 years ago

#25

They were also working with very small numbers. The highest breakthrough rate was with the 60 and older group (the group most overdue for a booster) and that was only 3.3 per thousand or 0.33%. In that group practically everyone was vaccinated so virtually all breakthroughs were in vaccinated folks, but with waning vaccine protection. Israel had a surge in covid cases and so they ordered a 3rd and recently a 4th round of boosters to bring in under control.

Another thing to consider, they used the Pfizer vaccine which was great out of the gate but not as good as Moderna for the long run. You can google Pfizer vs Moderna for the US studies on long term protection.

PalawOne Serial expat

728POSTS

3 years ago

#26

Israel had a surge in covid cases and so they ordered a 3rd and recently a 4th round of boosters to bring in under control. Another thing to consider, they used the Pfizer vaccine which was great out of the gate but not as good as Moderna for the long run. You can google Pfizer vs Moderna for the US studies on long term protection. - @Moon Dog

Good info Dog .. and here's some more good news yesterday:

"Scientists hope nasal vaccines will help halt Covid transmission"

The Guardian, Hannah Devlin Science correspondent, Sat 20 Aug 2022

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/20/covid-nasal-vaccines-scientists-hope-help-halt-transmission

Unlike jabs, nasal vaccines target the respiratory tract, the body’s first line of defence against infection

People who receive a Covid booster dose in the UK next month will be among the first in the world to receive Moderna’s dual-variant vaccine, which protects against two strains of the virus.

The evolution of the Covid virus to be more transmissible and better evade immunity is outpacing even innovative mRNA vaccines such as Moderna’s.

The current generation of vaccines remain essential to protect us against severe illness and death.

But when it comes to controlling infection, we are in a situation equivalent to running at a steady speed on a treadmill that is accelerating.

Now leading scientists are calling for a renewed focus on nasal vaccines, delivered through a spray up the nose rather than an injection.

They say nasal vaccines have the best chance of being able to halt Covid transmission and bring infections down to a manageable level.

“Solving this problem of inducing really effective immunity to block transmission is such an important challenge, it really deserves to receive significant attention and energy even though it’s going to take some time and effort,” said Dr Sandy Douglas, a member of the team that delivered the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Current vaccines trigger a response in the systemic immune system, which helps to prevents serious illness once an infection has occurred.

But a major shortcoming has been the failure of injected vaccines to produce immunity in the respiratory tract – so-called mucosal immunity – which is the body’s first line of defence against Covid.

“It’s like having guards behind the castle’s gate versus having guards in front,” said Benjamin Goldman-Israelow, an infectious diseases researcher at Yale.

Many now view a nasal vaccine as the most realistic way of achieving nasal immunity and breaking the chain of Covid transmission.

More than a dozen clinical trials of nasal vaccines are under way, including a phase 1 trial of a nasal version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

The challenge should not be underestimated, according to Douglas. “To protect against transmission, we’re in the territory of trying to do significantly better than exposure to the virus does naturally,” he said.

There is less experience with nasal vaccines. The most widely used to date is Flumist, AstraZeneca’s influenza spray, which uses a weakened influenza virus that works by entering the cells of the nasal lining and triggering an immune reaction.

This kind of vaccine needs to hit a sweet spot where enough virus is delivered to kickstart the immune system, but not so much that the virus starts replicating and results in the person becoming infectious (the phenomenon behind a recent spate of polio cases in the UK). “That’s not a road people are very enthusiastic about going down with a new vaccine,” said Douglas.

With new vaccine approaches, there is always the possibility of unexpected side-effects, which could deter some companies. An intranasal flu vaccine used in Switzerland in the 1990s was withdrawn after being linked to cases of facial paralysis.

“The safety profile may well turn out to be better for nasal vaccines, but there’s a little bit more of the unknown,” Douglas said.

There is also no consensus on how effective a nasal vaccine would need to be in order to make it to market.

“It is safe to say that a complete or near complete block of transmission would be preferable,” said Dr Samuel Wu, the interim chief medical officer of the US-based company CyanVac, which is preparing to take a Covid nasal vaccine into a phase 2 trial.

However, a small percentage reduction in transmission can make a big real-world difference.

“A 30% reduction in transmission would result in a 65% reduction in infections after three rounds of transmission,” said Wu.

“The harder question to answer is how you would actually measure reduction in transmission in a clinical trial,” he added.

“We have performed a cohabitation model to show that our vaccine reduces Covid transmission in ferrets, but as far as we know no one has tried to conduct such an experiment with human volunteers.”

Prof Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale, co-founded the company Xanadu Bio to develop a nasal booster vaccine designed to “coax” existing circulating immunity (from an injected vaccine) into the respiratory tract, without requiring live virus.

The vaccine, which delivers the Covid spike protein to the nose, offered protection against transmission in animal tests, and the team hopes to launch a phase 1 trial next year.

But Iwasaki says a coordinated effort will be required to deliver a nasal vaccine to market, and she has called for “Operation Nasal Vaccine at lightning speed”, an initiative similar to Operation Warp Speed for this stage of the pandemic.

“A small academic lab like mine is not equipped with manufacturing, regulatory, distribution capabilities,” she said. “This requires sufficient support by public and private sectors.”

Douglas agrees. “There are market failures in vaccine development because companies are reluctant to take the risks. They don’t reap the full benefits to society,” he said. “If they’re going to have to bear the costs and risks without substantial public funding, not enough research happens.”

danfinn ViP

1935POSTS

3 years ago

#27

@pnwcyclist

Question. Like you, I am in the Philippines. I know that in the US everybody has these home tests but as far as I know, those do not exist here, yet you were able to runs tests for several days. Did you have somebody come over and test you? And if so. not knowing your province, once an outside company tests you in Siquijor where we were at the time, and you test "officially" positive, you don't get to quarantine at home; you are forced into a government quaratine center or quaratine hotel. No riding bikes if you are positive. Everyone in your home would be contact tested. So my main question is, how did you get tested? My wife and I just recovered from a 3 week coughing spell (productive) with a lot of nasal congestion and she had a slight fever and I didn't. We were in Siquijor; with our profuse coughing we were concerned a neighbor might say something, call the DOH and we would have spent a lot of time at their quaratine center where I don't think I would have survived based on reports of someone else who did hard time there (no approved hotels in Siquijor) so we planned our escape back to Dumaguete. At no time did we have any problems breathing. We never got tested or went to a doctor's office but had a Zoom conference with a doctor who prescribed betamethazone (not available in the US outside of a hospital). It is a strong steroid here used for respiratory illness and for me, it knocked out the coughing in just a few days and similar for my wife. We shouldn't have waited so long but Zoom calls with a doctor are hard to arrange here. We assume it was omicron and liken it to the worst cold we have ever had, but no worse than that.