MANILA, Philippines — The huge number of healthcare workers (HCWs) without second booster shots should not be a cause for alarm, according to the Department of Health.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the HCWs are still protected against COVID-19 as long as they have received the first booster.
“The protection is still there to guard you against having severe COVID infection,” Vergeire said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The DOH earlier reported that at least 600,000 HCWs nationwide have yet to receive their second boosters.
“They are not part of the vulnerable group such as the elderly and those with comorbidities,” Vergeire explained.
But she still encouraged health workers to get a second booster, saying they are exposed to the virus.