COVID-19 booster vax sites to include offices, terminals, schools —DOH

Aiming to boost 50 percent of target population against COVID-19 within the first 100 day of the Marcos administration, the Department of Health (DOH) said it will tap populated places such as offices, terminals, malls and even schools as vaccination sites.

At the launch of the campaign dubbed "PinasLakas" on Tuesday, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said this will bring the vaccines closer to the people and speed up the administration of the booster shots as COVID-19 cases begin to rise anew.

The campaign targets to give booster shots to at least 23,840,032 in three months.

The other vaccination sites being eyed are markets, places of worship, factories and plazas.

LOOK: DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire leads the ceremonial vaccination of PinasLakas, a campaign which aims to administer booster shots to 50% of the country’s eligible population within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/OOeqkojbzV

— g (@giselleombay_) July 26, 2022

Aside from boosters, Vergeire said PinasLakas campaign also aims to vaccinate 90% of the target senior citizen population group within the same period.

“Ang pagtanggap ng booster shot ay isang ligtas, epektibo, at napatunayan nang paraan upang palakasin ang ating mga katawan laban sa COVID-19,” she said.

“Sa booster shots manunumbalik ang level ng proteksyon upang maiwasan ang malubhang kaso at kamatayan dulot ng COVID-19 at upang palawakin ang bilang ng mga Pilipino na mabibigyan pa ng proteksyon,” she added.

(Receiving a booster shot is a safe, effective, and proven way to strengthen our bodies against COVID-19. With booster shots, the level of protection will be restored to prevent serious cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 and to expand the number of Filipinos who can be given protection.)

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, who was also present during the launch, vowed support to the PinasLakas campaign, reiterating the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for Filipinos to get their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster shots.

“Kinocommit ko, bilang Kalihim ng Press, ang buong pusong pagtulong sa Department of Health, sa kanilang kampanya for boosters and complete cycles of vaccines,” she said.

(As the Press Secretary, I’m committing my full support to the DOH for their campaign for boosters and complete cycles of vaccines.)

During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said that a stronger healthcare system is needed as the country could no longer afford to impose another lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marcos also said that continuous monitoring of the healthcare system and ramping up of the COVID-19 booster coverage are important to help bring back the businesses’ full capacity after being affected by the pandemic for the past two years.

Based on DOH’s latest data, at least 71.5 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while some 15.9 million have received their booster doses.—LDF, GMA News