MANILA, PHILIPPINES — On Monday (February 21), President Rodrigo Duterte encouraged the public to undergo COVID-19 booster doses, citing a low proportion of people receiving the additional injection.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a Palace briefing that as of February 20, about 33.5 million people are eligible for an additional dosage of the approved Covid-19 vaccinations.

Only 9.7 million people have received their booster shots, according to Nograles, who advises the remaining 23 million to get supplemental Covid-19 vaccines to protect themselves from the virus.

“Iniisip siguro ng karamihan: Bakit kailangan nito? Bumababa naman na ang kaso ng Covid-19 sa bansa. (Maybe many think why need booster shots when Covid-19 cases in the country are declining). There is very little risk of getting Covid today,” Nograles stated.

“Misguided po ang ganitong pananaw. Kailangan pa rin natin ng dagdag na proteksiyon. Ika nga (This observation is misguided. We still need additional protection. As they said), it is better to be safe than sorry,” he added.

“Ito ay ating panlaban, hindi kalaban. Pansagip ng buhay, pambangon ng kabuhayan. Magpabakuna at magpa-booster shots na po tayo (This is our protection, not enemy. Live saving, to help recovery effort. Get your booster shots),” he said.

Meanwhile, the public was subsequently reassured by President Rodrigo Duterte, who clarified that the vaccines had already been proven to be safe and effective.

“Don’t worry because our vaccines have been studied closely by experts. These are guaranteed to be of good quality, safe, and most of all, effective. You will live,” he said.

“Those who don’t get vaccinated will surely die when the time comes. You are hard-headed,” he added.

Duterte emphasized the point after the Department of Health (DOH), and the National Task Force against COVID-19 both reported a low booster rate in the eligible population.e

In total, 134,332,014 doses of Covid-19 have been administered in the Philippines, with 62,652,101 adult Filipinos now fully vaccinated, including those who did receive the single-dose Janssen and Sputnik Light vaccines. – WhatALife!

Source: (pna.gov.ph)

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