DOH clarifies COVID-19 boosters still not mandatory

The administration of COVID-19 booster shots, as well as the primary vaccine series, are still not mandatory in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday.

The clarification came after it was earlier reported that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has agreed with the proposal of the Health department to require the first booster dose against COVID-19 before an individual could be deemed fully vaccinated against the disease.

“We also did not give any statement that boosters will become mandatory. Wala po yan sa ating direksyon, wala po yan sa ating mga pronouncements (that is not in our directive and pronouncements),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at the DOH briefing.

“Ang atin lang pong sinasabi kailangan maitaas lang po talaga ang antas ng booster doses uptake dito po sa ating bansa dahil nakikita po natin and even our experts are saying that our immunity for our population is already waning. So kailangan po natin itaas ang antas ng ating pagbabakuna specifically ang ating mga boosters,” she explained.

(We are saying that we really need to increase the level of booster uptake here in our country because we can see and even our experts are saying that our immunity for our population is already waning. So we need to raise the level of our vaccinations, specifically our boosters.)

Several DOH officials on Wednesday morning met with Marcos to discuss the current COVID-19 situation and vaccination coverage in the country, and recommended strategies to further improve the government’s pandemic response.

Pressed on what was discussed during the meeting, Vergeire said that the topics were only technical and there were no discussions on who the next Health chief will be.

Despite the rising COVID-19 and dengue cases in the country, Marcos has not yet named a DOH Secretary, to replace former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

She, however, said that Marcos “fully supports” the DOH and the COVID-19 response and vaccination program.

“Nakapagbigay ang ating Presidente ng mga instructions and guidance para sa kagawaran ng kalusugan kung paano natin ipapatupad at kung paano natin maipapataas ang antas ng ating response for COVID and at the same time improve coverage para sa ating pagbabakuna dito sa ating bansa,” Vergeire said.

(Our President was able to provide instructions and guidance for the Health department on how we can implement and increase the level of our response for COVID and at the same time improve coverage for our vaccinations here in our country.)

“We rest assured na ito pong ating mga napagusapan with the President, he fully supports naman the DOH and of course fully supports the COVID-19 situation response and also our vaccination program,” she added.

Meanwhile, the DOH earlier announced that adolescents aged 12 to 17 may already receive their booster shot against the viral disease.—LDF, GMA News