THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said it is still aiming to administer COVID-19 booster shots to 50 percent of the population but this time, it will be by the end of the year and not during the first 100 days of the Marcos administration as originally targeted.
Earlier this week, the DOH said it has lowered its target for the first 100 days, or by October 8, to 30 percent, which means about 23.4 million individuals given booster shots out of the eligible 78 million.
The lowered target was prompted by a low uptake of boosters, the DOH said.
“Due to the pace at which our booster vaccination is going, we have adjusted our target only for the first 100 days (until October 8) to 30%,” Health Undersecretary and DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“The target for booster vaccination coverage under our PinasLakas campaign is still 50% by the end of 2022,” she added.
Last July, the DOH said it was looking to administer booster shots to 23 million individuals in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration. When added to the 15.7 million who have received boosters at that time, that would be about 39 million Filipinos with up-to-date vaccination by October 8, or 50 percent of the 78 million eligible population.
Despite adjusting their targets, Vergeire said the DOH will be “doubling down on our campaign to reach and even surpass our target of 30% by October 8 and 50% by the end of the year.”
The DOH is set to hold a special vaccination days from September 26 to 30 in a bid to increase the booster shot coverage.
Meanwhile, Vergeire appealed to parents for patience as they wait for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than five years.
“Up until now, we are still studying this further. Not all countries are implementing COVID-19 vaccination for children less than five years because they also know that more studies are necessary,” she said.
“We hope that our parents will be more patient on this matter,” she added.
Vergeire said parents should not be much concerned as children younger than five years are not among those considered highly vulnerable to COVID-19.
For the moment, she urged parents to make sure that their children are protected against COVID-19 by adhering to safety protocols.
The United States and Canada are among the few countries that have approved COVID-19 jabs for children as young as six months.
As to vaccines, those made by Pfizer and Moderna are two that have been approved for use of children under 5 years old.
In the Philippines, the youngest age group allowed for COVID-19 vaccines are those between 5 and 11 years, who are recommended two primary doses.
As of September 18, nearly 5 million children 5 to 11 years old have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
