Says COVID-10 emergency not totally over
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday renewed calls for Filipinos to be vaccinated and update their booster shots against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to ensure their protection.
The President made the call days after the Department of Health announced the first case of the COVID-19 subvariant FE.1 in the country.
Marcos, at the launch of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, assured the public that the government will continue to use Science-based strategies and a whole-of-society approach in fighting the coronavirus and addressing the pandemic.
“We must not let our guard down. Although the rest of society, the other sectors of our society have tried to move on and say the emergency is over, and certainly in a way we can say that that is the case. However, it is not over completely. And that is why we should not be complacent and that is why we institute programs like this which continue to seek to protect our vulnerable populace, our vulnerable sectors of our populace,” he said.
The President also said the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters will not benefit only the recipient but also his family and the general public.
Marcos also said getting the vaccines and booster is shots is also a way of showing gratitude to scientists, vaccine manufacturers, and healthcare workers who have helped bring the “world … to a state of normalcy.”
“Let this occasion serve as a call to every Filipino to continue doing your part, get updated on your COVID-19 vaccination to prevent a resurgence, as a means of honoring those who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic,” he added.
The President also thanked the government of the Republic of Lithuania for its donation of the 390,000 doses of bivalent vaccines to the Philippines through the World Health Organization (WHO) and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). He expressed hope to further deepen the cooperation between the Philippines and Lithuania.
Marcos also thanked the WHO and the COVAX for their continuing assistance to the Philippines during and after the pandemic.
The President did not receive his bivalent shot during the event due to expected side effects which include fever. Marcos has a full schedule until the end of the month and would receive his shot later.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who received the shot during the launch, urged everyone to do their share of promoting a healthy Philippines by boosting their immune system through the bivalent vaccine.
The bivalent vaccines are meant as third booster for healthcare workers (listed as A1 in the COVID-19 vaccine priority list) and senior citizens (A2), who received their second booster four to six months earlier.
The government is negotiating for more bivalent vaccines.
Herbosa said the vaccine remains the best weapon against COVID-19, particularly its severe form.
Based on latest DOH data, 674,471 healthcare workers and 970,020 senior citizens have received their second booster shots.
Overall, DOH data showed 78.44 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated while 23.81 million have received booster shots. — With Gerard Naval
