Booster shot should be requirement for returning to work –Solante

The national government should require workplaces to encourage their fully-vaccinated employees to avail of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots before returning to their office, an infectious disease expert said Friday.

Dr. Regene Solante, during the Laging Handa press briefing, stressed this would push more Filipinos to avail of their third coronavirus jab after the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) reported that only 13 percent of the targeted population have received their booster shot.

“Kung gusto natin palawakin pa [ang vaccination], ang isang nakita ko dyan… pag-require natin sa work places na pag bumalik ang mga tao sa trabaho, i-encourage natin na bago sila bumalik naka-booster doses na rin,” he said.

(If we want to increase vaccinations, we should require workplaces to encourage their employees to avail of the third dose before returning to the office.)

The latest data from the National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard shows that as of March 30, the Philippines has administered 142, 236, 006 vaccine doses. Out of the figures, 12, 018, 418 are booster doses.

On Thursday, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said he was alarmed by the low booster uptake in the country and proposed the redefinition of “fully vaccinated” as those who had their primary doses and booster shots.

Solante backed the recommendation and further warned that there may be an upsurge of cases after the elections, especially with the waning immunity of those who have yet to receive their third coronavirus shot.

“Nagangamba tayo na pwedeng magkaroon ng surge ng cases after the elections,” he said.

(We are concerned that there may be a surge of cases after the elections.)

“Unang una dyan ‘yung superspreader events tapos i-dagdag pa ang waning immunity ng population natin. Pwedeng magkahawaan ulit yung mga mga nabakunahan na. Yung mga hindi pa naka-booster pwede magka-reinfection… Ito ay multifactorial na pwedeng tumaas ang kaso during the elections or in the next 2 to 3 months,” he added.

(This is because of the superspreader events and the waning immunity of our population. There may be infections… those who have yet to receive their booster shots may be reinfected… This is multi-factorial. It may result in an uptick in cases after the elections or in the next 2 to 3 months.)

— DVM, GMA News