Don't panic, DOH says on 600,000 health workers without 2nd booster
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:29 p.m.) — The Department of Health (DOH) allayed public fears over the number of frontline healthcare workers who still don't have their second COVID-19 booster shots, this while the sector interacts with COVID-positive patients more frequently than others.
The DOH said over the weekend that 592,202 of the country's eligible A1 population — almost half of all healthcare workers in the Philippines — have yet to receive the added COVID-19 protection.
"Now, among those healthcare workers na hindi pa ho nakakapagpa-second booster shot, tayo po [we're] still encouraging them. But as I've said, the evidence really points that kapag naka-first booster shot ka... it gives you more protection, and the protection is still there to guard you against having these severe and critical infections," said DOH offier-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, Tuesday, in a media forum.
"So we continously encourage them. Pero most of these individuals na hindi nagpa-second booster, hindi sila part pa rin noong mga vulnerable natin na katulad noong ating nakatatanda, ng mga healthcare workers at tska those with comorbidities."
Currently, only senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals and healthcare workers are permitted to be innoculated with the second booster in the Philippines. Said additional protection was rolled out due to the waning immunity provided for by the primary series and the first booster.
Over 31 million COVID-19 vaccines have been reportedly wasted in the country as of November 2022, this while the DOH remains dismissive when it comes to giving the second booster to the general population.
"Ang ating ebidensya ngayon, at ang rekomendasyon naman ng mga eksperto natin, na 'yung first booster shots natin protects you. And it protects you well against severe and critical infections," adds Vergeire.
"We still encourage [health workers], but we cannot mandate for them to have the second booster and tell them they cannot work. We cannot do that as a precondition because as I've said, there is still evidence that the first booster shots protects them already from severe and critical illness."
Around 4.05 million individuals have been infected with the COVID-19 virus since 2020. Over 65,094 Filipinos have died from said illness since the start of the pandemic.
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