MANILA -- Malacanang on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, urged the public to get booster shots as added protection in light of the low uptake of booster doses.
“Iniisip siguro ng karamihan: Bakit kailangan nito? Bumababa naman na ang kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa,” Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a press briefing adding that such notion is a misguided point of view. “Kailangan pa rin natin ng dagdag na proteksyon; ika nga, it is better to be safe than sorry.”
The Palace official, citing Department of Health figures, said around 33.5 million individuals are already qualified to receive their booster shots, as of February 20, 2022, and of this number, 9.7 million or 28.95% have gotten their boosters.
Sec. Nograles reiterated the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. “Ang mga bakunang ibinibigay ng pamahalaan ay garantisadong dekalidad, ligtas at epektibo. Ito ay ating panlaban, hindi kalaban. Pang-sagip ng buhay, pambangon ng kabuhayan. Magpabakuna at magpabooster shots na po tayo,” Nograles underscored.
In the same press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire mentioned that serious Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) are very rare and it’s current rate is less than 0.00003, as of February 19, 2022. Moreover, as reported by Undersecretary Vergeire not all AEFIs are due to vaccines.
A total of 134,332,014 total doses has been administered, as of February 21, 2022, with 61.8-M receiving the first dose and 62.6-M having the complete dose, according to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard. (OPS)
