Decision on requiring COVID-19 booster shot known 'hopefully next week' —Duque

The government's decision on the proposal to add booster dose as a requirement for an individual to be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may be out next week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.

"Hopefully by next week," Duque told Dobol B TV when asked on when such decision will be reached.

"Talaga naman kailangan ng booster, ang problema lang nating yung policy na isama siya sa completed vaccination [a booster dose is really needed, the only problem is including it in the policy on completed vaccination]."

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion last week suggested that the term "fully vaccinated" be redefined to cover those who have received a booster shot.

This proposal, however, was rebuffed by experts

Duque — though confident that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will allow such policy — appealed to experts to "support" the proposal.

"Malamang i-allow yan (new policy) kasi gusto natin na ang proteksyon na taglay ng bakuna ay mas mahaba, at mangyayari lang ito kung may booster," he said.

"Yun ang direksiyon na tinatahak ng Department of Health at sana yung experts ay magkaisa at suportahan itong polisya na ito."

(The proposed policy will likely be allowed because we want the protection that we get from the vaccine to be longer, and that will only happen through booster. That is the direction of the DOH and I hope the experts would support this policy.)

According to Duque, the move aims to encourage more eligible individuals to get their booster shots against COVID-19. He said at present, only 12 million out of 44 million eligible individuals have received their booster doses.

Duque said the public should not wait for another surge to get their booster doses.

"Ngayon magandang magpa-booster kasi walang surge, maluwag ang vaccination centers [This is the best time to get booster shots because vaccination centers are not crowded]," he said. —KBK, GMA News