IATF approves booster shots for OFWs set for deployment

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s pandemic task force has approved the administration of COVID-19 booster shots for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are about to be deployed within four months, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Saturday.

“Yes, in order to maintain our competitive advantage and also protect our OFWs and seafarers’ livelihood if boosters are being required for foreign deployment,” Galvez told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked to confirm the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

“We will execute this as soon as necessary since the OFW and seafarers are categorized as A1 in previous IATF Resolution,” he added.

Fully-vaccinated healthcare workers started to receive booster shots on November 17. They will be followed by the elderly and people with comorbidities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health earlier reminded the public that the administration of booster doses is not yet open for the general population.

It added that “the decision to offer booster doses to healthcare workers is still risk-based and its rollout to other priority groups will be implemented on a phased approach.”