Vaccination card expiry date, other ideas eyed to push COVID-19 booster shot

(REUTERS/file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — A health official on Thursday said setting an expiration date on vaccination cards would be a “good strategy” to encourage Filipinos to get booster shots against COVID-19.

“Yes, that’s also a good strategy,” National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a Teleradyo interview when asked about suggestions to put an expiration date on vaccine cards.

Cabotaje, however, also stressed the need to have stricter checking vaccination cards.

“Yung ating mga nagche-check, kasi basta pinakita mo yung vaccine card, hindi naman tinitignan kung sayo, hindi naman tinitignan kung how late your vaccination was, so we might go into more detailed enforcement,” she said.

(Those who are checking the vaccine cards, they don’t even check if the card is yours or when your vaccination was, so we might go into more detailed enforcement.)

“Hindi naman kailangan lahat titignan, kahit mag-random ka lang…that would be another strategy,” she added.

(It’s not necessary that all will be thoroughly checked, random checking will do.)

Cabotaje said that the Department of Health (DOH) is also studying other means to encourage Filipinos to get their COVID-19 booster shots.

“Ang pagiisip ng WHO (World Health Organization)…tinawag nilang fully vaccinated yung may primary series. So we are looking at the possibility of adding a booster dose…para mahikayat yung mga tao,” she said.

(The mindset of the WHO is that those who received the primary series are fully vaccinated. So we are looking at the possibility of adding a booster dose.)

 “The studies are currently being discussed, ano pa yung pwede nating gawin para ma-encourage yung ating mga mamamayang magpa-booster, especially yung ating mga vulnerable sector ng ating society,” she added.

 (The studies are currently being discussed, what can we do to encourage our people to get the booster shot, especially the most vulnerable.)

4th dose

Cabotaje reiterated that the government is expected to start giving out 4th doses or second booster shots for the vulnerable sector by late April, subject to the approval of the Food and Drug Administration to amend the emergency use authorization of certain vaccine brands.

“We will be ready by the third or fourth week of April,” she said.

 According to the DOH official, the majority of those in the health sector already want to receive their 2nd booster shot.

So far, 33 million Filipinos eligible for a booster shot have yet to get this extra dose.

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