THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said vaccines and booster shots for COVID-19 will remain voluntary despite its continued low uptake.
“We want to make it clear that we didn’t give any statement declaring that vaccination is mandatory. We also did not give any statement that boosters would become mandatory,”
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said following reports that President Marcos Jr. has agreed to make vaccination and booster shots against COVID-19 mandatory for all Filipinos.
“That is not in our policy direction. That is also not in our pronouncements,” Vergeire also said.
But she said Marcos “very much concerned” over the reported low booster shot coverage in the country.
“He said that if the booster shot coverage is low, he is concerned with the vulnerable population,” said Vergeire, who was among officials present in a meeting with Marcos in Malacañang.
Vergeire backed Marcos’ position that booster shot coverage should be increased.
“There is really a need to increase the rate of booster shot uptake in the country since the immunity for our population is already waning,” she said.
Vergeire also said the DOH and Malacañang are set to come out with new “improved strategies” to enhance booster shot uptake.
On Wednesday, the DOH reported that all regions reported less than 50 percent booster shot coverage.
Having the closest number to 50 percent coverage is the National Capital Region (NCR) which has reached 4,274,089 individuals or 43.25 percent.
Completing the top five are Cordillera Administrative Region (25.05%), Central Luzon (24.32%), Ilocos Region (23.05%), and Calabarzon (22.06%).
