Health Secretary Francisco Duque that individuals who were vaccinated against COVID-19 from other countries should still follow travel protocols, including quarantine.

Duque was asked whether those who have been inoculated will be exempted from travel protocols once the vaccination program begins in the country in a hearing of the House Committee on Health.

Duque said that current policies require vaccinated individuals to still follow health and travel protocols.

“Perhaps they down the road when we can get more data as the vaccines are rolled out or administered to a growing number of individuals—both locally and internationally. But right now the policy of the IATF, based on the recommendation of our experts, is that they will continue to follow all these existing protocols,” Duque said.

“They will not be exempted just because they have been vaccinated because as earlier pointed out, it is not yet clear nor there is an insufficient body of evidence or data to show that the vaccines can actually prevent transmission,” he added.

Duque said that current COVID-19 vaccines showed that it may prevent symptoms of the coronavirus disease.

“But the transmission, the evidence is not sufficient,” Duque added.

Infectious diseases expert Edsel Salvana supported the government’s decision.

“If we actually have a vaccine that is proven to be 100% transmission blocking, then anybody who is vaccinated with it should be able to travel freely. They don’t need to wait for everybody kasi hindi ka na nakakahawa,” Salvana said.

“Pero yun talaga yung problem e. Kasi even like for Moderna, right now, what evidence we have, limited evidence, is maybe it prevents two-thirds of asymptomatic infection. May one-third pa rin yun, so hindi pa rin tayo makakasigurado,” he added.