DOH mulls whether booster shots would be part of nat’l vaccination drive

MANILA, Philippines — Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said that they are mulling whether or not booster shots would be included in the three-day national COVID-19 vaccination drive.

“Ito po ang pinag-uusapan sa ngayon (This is what we’re discussing now), if we are going to also have booster shots this national vaccination day,” Vergeire said on TeleRadyo’s Sakto.

“Magbibigay po tayo ng anunsyo kung itutuloy po natin itong booster vaccination during these three days po,” she added.

(We are going to announce if we are going to push through with the booster vaccination during these three days.)

The government has set a three-day national vaccination drive, from November 29 to December 1 to ramp up the country’s COVID-19 immunizations.

Vergeire noted that the three-day national inoculation days are set to boost the number of vaccinated individuals by administering five million COVID-19 jabs per day.

“Kaya natin ‘to ginagawa para maitaas pa ho ‘yung fully vaccinated sa ating bansa bago man lang mag-Pasko, bago man lang mag-holiday season. That’s our real target, those who are not vaccinated,” she said.

(We will conduct this to increase the number of fully vaccinated in our country before Christmas or holiday season approaches.)

She said that those getting vaccinated do not need to register and can just walk into the vaccination sites.

According to Vergeire, around 33.3 million individuals in the country are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The booster vaccination for the elderly and persons with comorbidities will start this Monday, the Department of Health earlier said.

Last November 17, health workers began receiving a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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