MANILA, Philippines — No law is needed to make booster shots mandatory, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in a video uploaded on his official YouTube channel on Saturday.
“This need not really be made into a law because we are still free to choose for our own health,” Marcos said in Filipino.
Nevertheless, Marcos encouraged the public to get booster shots in line with the government’s launching of a large-scale campaign on the matter in preparation for the start of in-person classes and the reopening of the economy.
At the forefront of the campaign are the Department of Health, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Education.
Marcos, who recently finished his seven-day isolation after catching COVID-19, also highlighted the role of vaccines in the fight against the disease.
On July 8, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced that Marcos tested positive for the virus for the second time.
“I will take this opportunity to stress the importance of getting vaccinated and especially getting a booster shot,” Marcos said. “This is the second time I got COVID-19. But I think, if it weren’t for the vaccine and booster shot, my infection and condition would be worse.”
RELATED STORY
DILG backs booster drive in private sector–Concepcion
Mandatory COVID booster shots not yet necessary – DOH
Bongbong Marcos tests positive for COVID-19