About the Author

Dr. Edgar H. Tan finished his Bachelor of Science (major in Biology) degree in Silliman University where he graduated with honors (cum laude) in 1982. He earned his medical degree at Cebu Doctors' College of Medicine. He was a consistent honor student, received a Faculty Silver Medal Award and graduated with honors (cum laude) in 1986. He did his Post Graduate Internship at the Philippine General Hospital from 1986-1987. He passed his Philippine Medical Licensure Exam rank #15 in August of 1987. He decided to pursue further studies in the United States and did his Internal Medicine Residency Training at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York, a program affiliated with the New York Medical College in Westchester, New York from 1989-1992. He served as the Administrative Chief Medical Resident (ACMR) in the same program from 1992-1993 and received an award recognizing his excellent performance as ACMR by the graduating residents of that year. He subsequently pursued his Three-year Fellowship Training in Clinical and Invasive Cardiology at Metropolitan Hospital and Westchester County Medical Center Consortium, affiliated with New York Medical College Program from 1993-1996. He practiced in the State of South Carolina after his training in New York with privileges in Marlboro Park Hospital in Bennettsville SC and McLeod Regional Hospital in Florence SC from 1996-1997. He holds an active medical license in the State of Carolina since 1996 until present. He came home to start his own medical practice in Cebu in February of 1998 at Cebu Doctors' University Hospital. His US training, expertise and active medical licensure in the State of South Carolina remain handy not only to the locals but also to the American retirees knowing that the expertise of an American-trained and licensed physician is available right in the heart of Cebu City. Dr. Tan is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Cardiovascular Disease. He is also trained and certified in the field of Nuclear Cardiology. He is Board Certified by the Philippine College of Physicians as well. As a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and American College of Cardiology, he regularly travels abroad for his continuing medical education in the field of cardiology. His practice includes General Internal Medicine, Clinical as well as Interventional Cardiology i.e. diagnostic coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (stenting/angioplasty), permanent pacemaker implantation (single chamber & dual chamber pacers) etc. etc. He is affiliated with Cebu Doctors' University Hospital /Cebu Cardiovascular Center where he was the former Section Head of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory & currently appointed as the Section Head of the Department of Cardiology. Dr. Tan received recognition and was awarded the Presidential Medal Award given at Cebu Doctors' University Hospital on Sept. 2, 2020 for his contribution using a radical approach in the treatment of a critically ill Covid-19 infected patient with the combined use of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange and Convalescent Plasma Therapy which was first in the Philippines. His office is located at Cebu Doctors' University Hospital Medical Arts Building 1, Suite 303-A, Osmeña Blvd. Cebu City Philippines. His office hours are 9am-12pm Mon-Sat. Tel: 032-511-2857 Mobile/Viber: 0918-457-4762 . Calling for an appointment is a must. Walk-ins are no longer acceptable especially with the current covid pandemic.

Email: mailto://EdgarTan62@yahoo.com/ (Primary) or mailto://EdgarTanMD@gmail.com/ (Secondary)

Covid Breakthrough Infection....a Big Misnomer!

 The reason covid is still raging hard around the world is because of high prevalence of unprotected people mainly for two reasons. Inequitable distribution of vaccines and the predominance of antivaxers. Vaccine non-believers  continue to deny the value of not only personal protection but also against the benefits of covid immunization. For whatever reason it maybe one thing that fuels more of their skepticism is perfectly our own fault of which I shall explain.  

We've pretty much heard of the word "breakthrough infection" after covid vaccination including those that received their booster shot. This is the wrong word to use in light of the fact that immunization did not and was never intended to prevent infection 100% of the time. The idea dates back to our experience with the common flu virus. We give flu shots yearly despite the fact that  we know it cannot be prevented symptomatic infection 100% of the time, however should an immunized person gets the flu, it is easier and manageable. That has always been the idea of immunization. Fast forward covid vaccine, for some reason somehow the standards changed with the idea that immunization is thought of as a 100% shield against symptomatic infection...a big MISTAKE! This dates back from the time how mRNA vaccine makers define vaccine efficacy. Their phase-3 trials have shown that at least 95% of the time symptomatic infection is prevented and since then the bar on vaccine efficacy has become so high that it is virtually impossible to replicate it in the real world. The word breakthrough implies failure and therefore should be discouraged. This definition merely fuels the  antivaxers into believing that despite immunization people are still getting sick so why should we get immunized?

We know from real world experience that with our current surge the mortality from  Omicron variant were almost always coming from the unvaccinated while those who got immunized and boosted death was prevented 95% of the time. Isn't this a big enough proof of vaccine efficacy? Experts are now starting to believe that the bug is slowly behaving like an ordinary flu for  the vaccinated and boosted. 

The world can only heal as one and for as long as there is an no equitable distribution of vaccines normalcy will be difficult to achieve.  For now the  question we should ask ourselves as healthcare providers is to avoid using the word  breakthrough infection as I have already alluded to earlier. It is time to get our act together and get over with our alarmist view and look at all these based on reason rather than emotion.