BY GERARD NAVAL and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
THE Department of Health is set to begin giving COVID-19 booster shots to fully-vaccinated healthcare workers today.
The start of the provision of booster shots comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued the required emergency use authorization (EUA) for the concerned vaccines.
The DOH, in an advisory, said that based on the EUA issued by the FDA, it recommends using either Moderna, Pfizer, and Sinovac vaccines as booster doses “regardless of the brand used for the primary series.”
To note, a booster shot is one given to individuals whose immune response may have weakened over time.
As of November 2, at least 1.6 million healthcare workers have been fully vaccinated, or about 95.39 percent of the targeted 1,638,917 healthcare workers that form the A1 priority group in the national vaccination drive.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said at least 1.6 million vaccine doses have been allocated for the booster shots of of health workers, and six million doses for senior citizens (A2) and those with comorbidities (A3).
President Duterte on Monday night said government must continue to intensify vaccination efforts to reach its target of achieving herd immunity faster.
The President, during his “Talk to the People” address, welcomed reports that the vaccination rate for several days reached a million daily.
“This is truly a good and welcome news because it affirms that our strategies are correct in balancing health and economy. Reminder, even if we are able to control the virus and grow our economy, much remains to be done. The virus is still here and continues to be a threat to our people and nation,” he said.
He reiterated the need to continue to follow health protocols, especially the wearing of face masks, after he approved the voluntary use of face shields in areas under Alert Levels 1-3.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles yesterday said 70.677 million vaccine doses have been administered as of November 15, with 41.31 percent of the eligible population fully vaccinated and 50.31 percent in Metro Manila.
Galvez said while the National Capital Region has fully vaccinated at least 92 percent of its targeted population, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) managed to fully vaccinate only 10.85 percent of its targeted 2.989 million eligible population.
Galvez said geographical challenges in transporting the COVID-19 vaccines are among the reasons for the low vaccination rate in BARMM.
Other regions with high vaccination rates are the Cordillera Administrative Region with 44.83 percent of its population fully vaccinated; Davao region, 41.92 percent; Calabarzon, 41.21 percent; and Central Luzon with 40.85 percent.
Galvez said freezers capable of storing temperature-sensitive vaccines will be deployed to parts of BARMM and the Mimaropa region, following vaccine donations from Japan and the United States.
He said the arrival of the freezers, especially solar-powered freezers from Japan, will enable local government units (LGUs) in remote areas to store more vaccines and accommodate more people in vaccination efforts.
He said LGUs should expect more vaccine allocations as more vaccines continue to be delivered. At least 16 million doses are expected this month and this would be used as booster shots and for the November 29 to December 1 national vaccination days.
He said more than 124 million doses have already arrived in the country since February.
The national vaccination drive was launched on March 1.
He said the December deliveries will be used for first quarter jabs, including boosters.
