44 million Filipinos still unboosted after gov’t missed vaccination target

ABOUT TIME Health workers from St. Luke’s hospitals say they have been waiting for booster shots for two months now. —LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — After a dismal turnout during the government’s national vaccination days, the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday made an appeal to 44 million Filipinos who are eligible to get booster shots to avail of this extra dose for additional protection.

“Nananawagan po tayo dito sa 44 million na eligible po para makatanggap ng booster, tumanggap na ho tayo. Pumunta na po tayo sa mga vaccination site, please receive your boosters. This will not just protect you, this will also protect your family and our whole community,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Palace briefing.

(We are calling on these 44 million who are eligible to get the booster, let’s avail of it. Head to the vaccination site, please receive your boosters, this will not just protect you, this will also protect your family and our whole community.)

Vergeire admitted that convincing all those eligible to avail of the booster shot poses a challenge.

So far, only 11.7 million Filipinos have received their booster shot.

“Gusto natin iparating sa ating mga kababayan na napakaimportante po ng booster shots dahil ito po ay nakakapagbigay ng karagdagang proteksyon because we know that the immunity from vaccines wanes over time,” the DOH official said.

(We want to tell our fellow Filipinos that booster shots are very important because this will give us additional protection because we know that the immunity from vaccines wanes over time.)

“Tandaan po natin, evidence will state, especially in terms of Omicron variant, na nabawasan po ang mga proteksyon na binigay sa atin ng mga first and second dose natin dahil apektado po sila ng Omicron variant,” she added.

(Let’s remember, evidence will state, especially in terms of the Omicron variant, the protection given by the first and second dose will lessen as an effect of the Omicron variant.)

READ: Omicron remains dominant COVID variant – DOH

According to Malacañang, the government has fully vaccinated over 65.5 million individuals as of Mar. 24. This is 72.81 percent of the country’s target population.

The government will conduct a targeted COVID-19 vaccination from March 29 to 31 in Region 7, Vergeire said.

Meanwhile, “special vaccination days” will be held in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from March 31 to April 1.

EDV