DOH: 6,702 immunocompromised given booster shots

REUTERS FILE PHOTO/Yves Herman

MANILA, Philippines — The government has administered the second booster shots to 6,702 immunocompromised individuals over the past five days, or since its rollout on April 25, a health official said on Saturday.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, head of the National Vaccination Operations Center, said at the Laging Handa briefing that 67.8 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, while 31.2 million have so far received their booster shots.

Cabotaje said the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), an independent advisory body, has no recommendation yet for the possible rollout of the second booster shot to other priority groups.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III last week said health workers and senior citizens were not yet included in the initial rollout of the second booster pending review by the HTAC.

Cabotaje said the government has enough supply for COVID-19 booster shots as she admitted the slow uptake for the first booster shot.

“We will have sufficient supply for those who are willing to have their second booster in case we open up to the other age group,” she said.

The health official said the Department of Health would also ask the HTAC to allow overseas Filipino workers whose country of destination requires a second booster shot to be given the additional doses.

In the same briefing, Cabotaje said COVID-19 patients might not be allowed to vote during the May 9 elections.

She cited that Republic Act No. 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, prohibited COVID-19 patients to go out of their isolation facilities.

“They are not allowed to go out of their areas when they are positive. So they can’t go out of isolation facilities. I have not heard the Comelec (Commission on Election) providing arrangements for those in isolation facilities to vote,” she said.

“The stand of the Comelec, they may not be able to vote. But those who are not vaccinated and will need RT-PCR, they will be voting in an isolated voting place in our election precincts,” she added.

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