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The Department of Health (DOH) is urging everyone to complete their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to be able to get the full benefit and protection.
The DOH issued the reminder on Thursday following reports that as many as 113,000 people — roughly nine percent of vaccine recipients — have deferred their second dose.
“For our kababayans who missed their scheduled second dose, huwag kayong mangamba at maaari pa rin kayong makakuha ng inyong ikalawang dose,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque said.
The vaccines available in the Philippines are the two-dose kind. That means just receiving the first dose does not provide maximum protection from the virus.
“We urge you to coordinate with your (local government) to reschedule your vaccination,” Duque continued.
DOH Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said among the most common reason for deferrals are “getting sick, getting exposed to someone positive for COVID-19, or undergoing quarantine.
There is no breakdown which priority group — A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities) — these deferments come from.
Vaccine confidence had been low especially in the beginning but has gradually increased as more people — including celebrities — queued to get their jab.
Among those who’ve already gotten inoculated are showbiz power couple Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez.
On April 17, Alcasid posted a photo of him and Velasquez receiving their COVID-19 vaccines on his Instagram page.
“Kaming mag-asawa ay may comorbidity kaya nakakuha po kami sa (Quezon City) ng slot at kami ay napabakunahan na,” Alcasid’s Instagram post said.
“Sa mga taga QC, download po natin ang EZ consult app para maka rehistro na po tayo at antayin natin ang abiso sa email natin. Ty QC gov’t. God bless us all.”
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOWAlcasid’s post received 23,501 likes.
Other showbiz celebrities who have received their COVID-19 jab include Jolina Magdangal and Gretchen Barretto.
The Philippines now averages 150,000 jabs a day, breaching the 5 million mark of COVID-19 vaccinations on May 28.
The reminder for people to complete their jabs was given the same time that the DOH acknowledged that a “case increase nationally and across all island groups (is) more evident in the past week.” Today, June 3, 2021, the DOH reported 7,217 new cases, 3,483 new recoveries, and 199 new deaths.
The DOH is saying that this increase can be attributed to the relaxed compliance to health protocols as well as the presence of COVID-19 variants.
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