DOH: Only 580,000 availed second COVID-19 booster shot as of June 13
FILE PHOTO: A health worker prepares a dose of the BioNTech Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Manila on July 15, 2021. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) reported Wednesday that only about 580,000 eligible Filipinos have availed a second COVID-19 booster dose as of June 13.
DOH spokesperson Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire also disclosed in a media forum that more than 2.4 million health workers, around 6.8 million senior citizens, and nearly 9 million immunocompromised people in the country have already been fully inoculated against the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The DOH official then noted that for the second booster shot, only senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals, and health workers are allowed to receive it for now.
READ: 2nd booster shot: Continuing the fight against COVID-19 in PH
She stressed anew that the DOH will only administer a second booster dose for the general public if it receives an amended emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and a positive recommendation from the Health Technology Assessment Council.
All in all, the DOH said more than 69.8 million Filipinos have already been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday while first booster dose recipients reached around 14.6 million.
On Tuesday, the DOH’s COVID-19 tracker indicated that active coronavirus cases in the country stood at 3,130 and noted a “sharp increase” in infections logged in Metro Manila.
RELATED STORIES
DOH sees ‘unsustained’ uptick in Metro Manila COVID-19 cases
Gov’t eyes new definition of ‘full vaccination’
KGA
For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.
