ILOILO City – Over five million of the target population in Western Visayas have yet to receive their vaccine booster shots against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As of yesterday, only 10.93 percent of the target population received booster shoots, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.
In this city, Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed concern over the slow booster uptake.
“Ang vaccine amat-amat na expire…Kon ma-expire, indi ko kabalo kon madugangan pa kita diri. Kay ti manugsulod ang mga bag-o nga mga opisyales, I do not really know what will happen pagsulod sang (new) President, (new) secretary sang Department of Health,” said Treñas.
Booster doses may be provided at least three months after the full vaccination with AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Sinovac brands of the COVID-19 vaccine.
DOH data showed that 578,383 people or 13.10 percent of the 4.4 million target population in the region aged 18 to 59 year old, and 14.32 percent or 123,865 of the 864,891 aged 60 and above got booster shots.
“Everyone should get booster shots…gina-recommend ko gid,” said Treñas.
Iloilo City’s booster vaccination rate is only at 38 percent among 60 years old and above, and 47 percent among 18 to 59 years old target population.
Last week, the DOH central office warned that the Philippines may witness a potential surge in cases by mid-year as booster uptake remains low.
In Western Visayas, the following are the booster rates per priority group:
* A1 Group (workers in the frontline health services) – 83,471 (64.48 percent)
* extended A1 Group (outbound overseas Filipino workers, family members of healthcare workers and additional AI) – 30,940
* A2 (senior citizens) – 123,865 (14.32 percent)
* A3 Group (individuals with comorbidity) – 87,904 (19.91 percent)
* extended A3 (pregnant women) – 946
* A4 (frontline personnel in essential sector) – 198,908 (7.8 percent)
* A5 (indigent population) – 90, 908 (17.12 percent)
* rest of adult population (ROAP) – 85,890
DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier reminded the public that the body’s protection from the virus declines after a couple of months. A booster shot is needed to maintain a person’s defense against hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 infection.
The fully vaccinated individuals in Region 6 are now 5,010,165 or 77.96 percent of the target population while the partially vaccinated are 183,193 or 2.85 percent, DOH data showed./PN