Expert urges gov’t anew to ‘step up’ PH’s Covid-19 vaccination, booster programs (Sabong News)
Author
Charie Mae F. Abarca
Date
MARCH 27 2022
A health expert once again urged the national government to “step up” the country’s vaccination program against Covid-19, reiterating that vaccination plays an important role in ensuring safety against the disease.
Health reform advocate and former special adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon, in a Facebook post, said that the country should revisit its plans and hasten its Covid-19 vaccination and booster programs.
“The government should step up the vaccination and booster programs [in the Philippines]. We have seen the surges in Europe, China, South Korea, Hong Kong [and other territories abroad]. Remember the full vaccination is three doses according to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] (CDC),” said Leachon on Saturday, March 26.
Studies also show that waning immunity may take place four months after the inoculation. This, according to Leachon, may cause a “possible resurgence” of infections.
Resurgence of Covid-19 infections is not a foreign phenomenon during the pandemic as it was already observed in several countries across the globe.
Meanwhile, as the number of Covid-19 cases in the country continues to decline, several Philippine institutions have expressed their plans to eventually conduct in-person classes in 2022.
“Face to face classes are dependent on full primary vaccination. We should revisit our plans to hasten the [country’s] vaccination program. The pandemic is not over, [that is why] we should not be complacent,” Leachon added.
The Department of Health’s (DOH) National Covid-19 Vaccination Dashboard showed that as of March 9, 2022, a total of 63,992,620 individuals in the Philippines have received two doses of the vaccine, while only 10,675,663 Filipinos have so far received their booster shots.
