BY IME SORNITO & RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – Ilonggos have mixed reactions on getting a second booster shot against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Department of Health (DOH) finally approved the rollout of COVID-19 second booster shots for the general adult population. This excludes children aged five to 17 years old.
From the perspective of someone who has a comorbidity and already took a second booster, Vincent Gefes, an employee of the Iloilo provincial government, said there is nothing to worry about. He received his second booster (Pfizer vaccine) in June 2022.
“So far, mild headache man lang ang akon nabatyagan during that time nga nag-receive ako sang second booster,” Gefes told Panay News.
For Gefes, it was a sign that the vaccine is effective and that it is advantageous to complete the vaccine shots for strengthened protection against COVID-19.
According to Christy Hechanova of Tigum Elementary School, making the second booster shot available for the general public is the government’s way of protecting everyone who interacts with many people daily, especially in the new normal.
“As a teacher in-charge sa clinic diri sa amon school, gusto ko man kag nami gid nga maka-avail sang second booster shot kay nahibaluan man naton ang importansiya sang vaccine sa aton lawas nga maka-lessen sang mga ill effects sang COVID-19,” said Hechanova.
She added: “Manami gid nga makapa-booster kita para ma-prepare man naton ang aton lawas nga mangin maayo gid… kag makaprotektar man kita sa iban nga tawo.”
Meanwhile, medical technology student Queenie Gayares said she would forego a second booster shot, but stressed that those who are immunocompromised needed to get inoculated.
“For me, indi na kay I am healthy and nakabaton naman ‘ko first booster shot. But on the other hand, kung immunocompromised ka ‘ya need gid dapat nga mag-receive sang second booster,” said Queenie.
She also shared the benefits of a booster shot.
“Ang second booster shot is somehow needed gid since sa kadugayon sang past vaccine shot, it might be starting to wane off. So technically this booster shot will help strengthen the immunity of our body against the COVID-19 virus, especially when you’re old and immunocompromised,” Queenie added.
She also encouraged the public to avail of the added protection.
Mitzi Peñaflorida, senior environmental management specialist of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office, is ready to receive the second booster.
She said she needs it as added protection not only for herself but also for her family, especially since she interacts with many people at work.
“Yes, kung open na [to the public] mapa-second dose booster man ako,” said Peñaflorida.
She said there is nothing to worry about because during her first booster, she did not feel anything unusual, even during her first and second vaccine doses.
Peñaflorida does not have a preferred brand of vaccine, adding it has been proven that all vaccines are effective.
According to Joel Tormon, an employee of the Iloilo provincial government, he is ready to avail of the second booster, especially since the COVID-19 threat remains.
“Ready ako nga mag-avail, waay sang problema kay for our protection man ina against COVID-19,” said Tormon.
Cesar Capellan, chief operations officer of the state-owned Panay Railways, Inc. (PRI), said the same.
“Huo, siempre ah. Willing gid ako nga magpa-second booster,” he said.
The PRI officer said the public should not worry about the vaccine’s effect on the body because it is normal to have a body ache or mild flu right after.
Capellan said when he received the first booster six months ago, he did not feel anything in his body aside from mild pain at the injection site.
“Okay man ako, wala man ako may nabatyagan sang nagpa-first dose ako,” he added.
On the other side of the spectrum, Dolores Abelarde, a market vendor at the Iloilo Central Market, will not get a second booster because she is nervous.
During the first booster, Abelarde said, she had a headache and loose bowel movement.
“Damo ko nabatyagan ‘ya, may ara man iban nga okay man pero sa akon daw nag-trangkaso ako sang first booster tapos nag-LBM ako. Amo na nga indi na ako magpa-booster kay nakulbaan ako,” said Abelarde.
For Abelarde, taking her first booster was enough.
However, she said she will not prevent her children from availing themselves of a second booster, especially if it is needed or required at work.
Similarly, married couple Irene and Romie Tan of Barangay Bonifacio Tanza, City Proper, said they will not get a second booster. They were afraid of getting sick, especially after hearing some cases of people getting sick after taking the jabs.
“Indi ako magpa-booster kay tama ka delikado kay damo ako nabatian nga damo nagamasakit tapos sang pa-booster,” said Irene.
Romie, on the other hand, decided not to get a booster because of the experience of her relative, who was allegedly hospitalized after receiving a booster shot.
In its guidelines, the DOH said all healthy adults aged 18 and older may now receive their second booster shot — the fourth dose all in all, including the first two primary doses — six months after their first booster.
The general public could still get their second booster, even if the recommended gap from the first booster has been exceeded.
AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna are the vaccines that will be used for the second booster.
Meanwhile, healthcare workers aged 50 and above and persons with comorbidity may get their second booster jabs after more than three months if they were inoculated with AstraZeneca and after four months if Pfizer or Moderna.
Immunocompromised adults, for their part, may continue to acquire their second booster dose after more than three months from their first booster. (With a report from newsinfo.inquirer.net)/PN