Garin pushes for second COVID-19 booster shot for general population

A lawmaker on Tuesday urged the government to already allow the administration of second COVID-19 booster dose to the general population amid the lingering pandemic.

In a statement, Iloilo Representative Janette Garin noted that more than four million doses of vaccines procured by the private sector are set to expire.

"Gustong-gustong gamitin ng mga empleyado pero tila walang sense of urgency ang mga nagdedesisyon dito," Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, said in a statement.

(The employees are eager to have it but it seems like the decision makers have no sense of urgency.)

According to Garin, while there are 71.6 million Filipinos who already completed their primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine, only 15 million got the first booster, resulting in millions of unused vaccines.

In stressing the need for added protection against COVID-19, Garin cited new sub-Omicron variants that she said are "hyper contagious, spreading like measles."

"How do we fight? We increase our protection. No room for delay," she said.

Garin said administering the second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine is urgently needed, considering that vaccine-induced protection takes at least two weeks to a month before it takes effect.

She also said the DOH is only contradicting itself by calling on people to get a booster while it is also limiting access to the second booster shot.

At present, second booster shot is only available for health workers, senior citizens, and the immunocompromised. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA News