1,000 health workers in Taguig get COVID-19 booster shots

Some 1,000 medical workers in Taguig City have already received their booster shots against COVID-19, a city health official said.

The booster shots were administered to health workers at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Vaccination Hub on Wednesday.

According to Taguig City Head of Immunization, Dr. Jennifer Lou De Guzman, the medical workers who received the Pfizer booster shots were from the Taguig City Health Office and Taguig-Pateros District Hospital.

De Guzman said other essential frontliners would also receive their booster shots in the coming days.

"When we talk about essential, maaaring hindi ito health-based. Mayroon tayong mga public safety officers na hindi sila doktor, wala sila sa medical field pero sila ay kaagapay namin sa ating mga vaccination hubs," De Guzman said in an interview with reporters.

(When we talk about essential workers, these could also be not health-based. We have public safety officers who are not in the medical field but they assist us in our vaccination hubs.) 

"Isa po sila sa babakunahan din po natin. Hindi po ito nangangahulugan na lahat lang ng doktor, dentista, nurses, midwife ang babakunahan. When we talk about essential frontliners, health workers, ito po 'yung mga kaagapay namin na may exposure lalo na sa pangangalaga ng COVID," she added.

(We will also inoculate them with booster shots. This does not mean that only the doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives will be administered with booster shots. When we talk about essential frontliners, these also include those who help us in taking care of those COVID-19 patients.)

She said Taguig City is eyeing to administer booster shots to more or less 20,000 health workers.

The Philippines has started the inoculation of fully vaccinated healthcare workers with booster doses on Wednesday.

The Department of Health has said the inoculation of senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals would follow. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News