Duterte prods those who got 1st dose of COVID-19 jab: ‘Find time’ to get 2nd dose

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged those who already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to “find time” to get their second dose.

“Ang problema dito, ‘yung nabakunahan na sa first injection, kailangan kayo ng booster, a second injection. Please find time to go back and line there, line up and show your [vaccination] card so that they would know you are receiving the second dose,” Duterte said in a taped address.

(The problem is that those who received their first injection need a booster, a second injection. Please find time to go back and line there. Line up and show your vaccination card so that they would know you are receiving the second dose.)

“Find time at your own convenience na bumalik doon at magpabakuna,” he added.

The President also ordered local government units to locate the persons who missed their COVID-19 vaccine second dose.

“Kindly help us ferret out persons who have not received the booster until now,” he said.

Duterte’s remark comes after the Department of Health (DOH) said that some 113,000 individuals missed their second dose of the COVID-19 shot.

But as he encouraged the public to get their second dose of the vaccine, Duterte also said it is still not a guarantee that people vaccinated against COVID-19 would not contract the new coronavirus.

“But it does not guarantee that you will not be contaminated unless you observe the protocols of the washing of hands, mask and social distancing kasi hindi pa nawala itong COVID-19,” he said.

The DOH has urged individuals who missed their second dose to coordinate with theire respective local government units to reschedule their next vaccination.

KGA