The vaccination program has officially rolled out in different parts of the world. While the administration of vaccines are given utmost importance, a light should be shed on the proper waste disposal and safety protocols related to vaccination as well. According to the guidelines of the Department of Health in the Philippines, hazardous waste acquired from vaccination centers should only be held in vaccination centers’ waste disposal sites for a maximum of 24 hours. If the waste can be stored in refrigerated storage rooms, it can be stored for 48 hours at a time. The waste disposal sites of vaccination centers should also be disinfected on a daily basis as well.
It has been our advocacy for the past 26 years that disinfection should be done alongside cleaning. Just because one type of virus is curbed with mass vaccination, doesn’t mean there aren’t other strains of virus and bacteria that can cause illnesses both in human and animal life. Mass vaccination as well doesn’t mean that the threat of disease is already gone 100%. There are many factors at play and safety is still paramount to ensure that the spread of infection is controlled.
Many factors contribute to the spread of disease. These factors can be as common as weather changes, gatherings of masses, and many more. Yet, though there are a lot of pieces of information available about proper cleaning and disinfection protocols, most illnesses are acquired through poor hygiene and improper waste disposal practices. Most strains of virus and bacteria thrive through droplet transmission. Bacterial and viral infections are highly preventable if disinfection is done alongside cleaning.
For so many years, regular disinfection was only done in places where medical procedures are done (i.e. clinics, laboratories, hospitals, etc.), farms / food processing and manufacturing plants, waste disposal sites, animal farms, slaughterhouses, and so on and so forth. Disinfection was the last priority when it came to depressed communities, households, and even some restaurants / commercial areas. Even when the pandemic ends, proper disinfection should still be done to prevent further transmission of disease.
Have you found yourself nursing a common cough or cold after being exposed in a room with a person having the same symptoms? Do you have areas in your home or place of work that has bad odor? Do you often see pests or insects in areas where you usually stay? If you answer yes to these questions, then disinfection should be done in your surroundings.
If you need more information about proper waste and hygiene protocols for the prevention of disease, send us a message now and gain access to our two decades experience in the proper way of using MD Sterilizing and Disinfecting Solution for your cleaning and disinfection requirements.
Disinfection of hospital waste at Dr. Jose Natalio Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (TALA) Caloocan City