(Eagle News) — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to get booster shots amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the emergence of new highly infectious subvariants of Omicron.
The President visited the PinasLakas Booster Vaccination campaign in Pasig City on Monday, August 1, and appealed to the public to get vaccinated and to have their booster shots too after the primary series of vaccination.
Marcos Jr., said it was important that the booster rollout is effective amid the uptick in COVID-19 cases.
“Ang sadya ko po rito ngayong hapon ay napakasimple lamang. Tinitingnan ko po kung maganda at mahusay ang patakbo ng ating booster rollout na ating ginagawa ngayon. Dahil alam niyo naman po itong COVID masyado tayong minamahal dito sa Pilipinas, ayaw tayong iwanan,” he said.
“Kaya’t kailangan magpabakuna tayo nang mabuti dahil siguro naman nabalitaan na ninyo maraming mga variant eh ‘yung bakuna kung minsan kailangan isa pa para talagang tiyak tayo na hindi na tayo aabutan nung kahit na ano pang variant,” added.
-No lockdowns-
President Marcos had early on vowed that he would not implement lockdowns and that Filipinos need to live in this new normal where the COVID-19 virus is a constant threat to health.
The only way to defeat the virus is by getting vaccinated.
“Kaya’t kayo na nandito na na magpapa-booster na ay hikayatin ninyo ‘yung mga kasamahan ninyo, ‘yung pamilya ninyo lahat, sabihin ninyo lahat na magpa-booster na para hindi niyo na kailangan alalahanin itong COVID na ito para masasabi natin dito sa Pilipinas ay tapos na,” the President said.
Once the majority of the population is fully immunized, the coronavirus could be controlled, and there is no need for the government to implement lockdowns, he said.
Health officials see the PinasLakas Booster Vaccination campaign as a way to boost jobs and tourism and allow school opening this August.
The ambitious campaign aims to widen inoculation, especially by providing boosters to senior citizens and other vulnerable groups while at the same time giving shots to children.
Joining the President were Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Department of Health Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, and Pasig City Vice Mayor Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr.
Marcos said that it was important for more Filipinos to get more booster shots to aid the country’s economic recovery.
As of August 1, 2022, the total number of those who had completed doses has reached 71.5 million, while those who received booster shots were 16.2 million.
Last week, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion expressed worry because some P5.1 billion worth of vaccines are nearly expiring.
He urged the government to further expand booster coverage so the vaccines would not go to waste.
(Eagle News Service)
