Vaccinated OFWs in Cebu test positive for COVID-19

Cebu (CNN Philippines, February 17) – Two overseas Filipino workers who arrived in Cebu after getting vaccinated abroad have tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Health Region 7 said.

The DOH-7 first announced on Wednesday the case of a vaccinated OFW from the United Arab Emirates who tested positive for the coronavirus.

The 43-year-old male patient received two doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine on December 12 last year and on January 2, DOH-Region 7 spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche told reporters in a message. He arrived in Cebu on January 5 and completed the mandatory quarantine on the 20th.

Loreche said all travelers arriving in Cebu from other countries, even those who can present certification that they have been vaccinated, are still required to undergo 14-day isolation.

"Because he underwent the quarantine upon arrival, we did not do any swabbing yet," Loreche told media briefing on Thursday. "But because he had to go back to his workplace, he underwent swabbing on February 8."

His positive swab results were released the next day. Loreche said the OFW was asymptomatic. Four other members of his household also caught the virus and are all currently isolated, she added.

The health official also reported that another vaccinated OFW, this time from Canada, was likewise found to have contracted COVID-19. The 25-year-old female only had one dose of Pfizer's vaccine on January 13. Two doses are needed to achieve the full benefits of most vaccine brands, according to experts.

The OFW arrived in Cebu on February 9 and immediately underwent the mandatory quarantine. She was swabbed on the fifth day of isolation, or on February 14. Loreche said the patient is still currently under isolation and will also have to undergo an antibody test prior to her release.

"We want to determine the level of iGG so that we will be able to know the level of immunity she currently has," Loreche explained.

According to the health official, there are several possibilities as to why the returning OFWs still got infected even after vaccination.

"If you notice, there are no solid scientific studies yet as to the length of immunity that a vaccine can give," she said.

"It's highly probable that the immunity the vaccine has given as a protection has not kicked off yet," she added.

Loreche also said there is a possibility the patients were infected with a different variant of COVID-19.