ILOILO – In this province, 190,223 individuals already received vaccine booster shots against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This is, however, way below the number of people already fully vaccinated — 1,159,074 individuals (69.38 percent of the 1,670,578 target population).
The fully vaccinated are being encouraged to take booster shots because the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine wanes over time.
The first booster shot is given at least three months after the second dose of a primary-two dose vaccine or at least two months after the primary single-dose vaccine is given.
Here’s the breakdown of the 190,223 “boosted” individuals:
* Ajuy (3,175), Alimodian (4,454), Anilao (2,572), Badiangan (4,120), Balasan (2,725), Banate (2,690), Barotac Nuevo (4,223), Barotac Viejo (1,934), Batad (1,325), Bingawan (1,986), Cabatuan (5,455), Calinog (4,662), Carles (3,565), City of Passi (4,010), Concepcion (3,797), Dingle (4,481), Dueñas (5,663), Dumangas (5,350), Estancia (2,182), Guimbal (2,117), Igbaras (3,667), Janiuay (6,140), Lambunao (5,202)
* Leganes (4,044), Lemery (3,117), Leon (4,322), Maasin (3,045), Miag-ao (6,884), Mina (2,651), New Lucena (2,160), Oton (11,082), Pavia (9,940), San Dionisio (3,352), San Enrique (3,159), San Joaquin (5,764), San Miguel (2,785), San Rafael (1,515), Santa Barbara (5,997), Sara (3,664), Tigbauan (6,314), Tubungan (2,621), Zarraga (6,684), and Iloilo Provincial SHealth Office (7,100).
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. announced that the provincial government is ready to administer second booster shots once the national government gives the go-signal, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended last week the emergency use authorization given to COVID-19 vaccines to allow giving an additional booster shot to frontline healthcare workers, persons 60 years old and above, and immunocompromised patients.
“We have vaccines and we have vaccinators,” said Defensor.
The second booster shot will be given at least four months after the first booster shot, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
DOH undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje earlier said the second booster shot rollout will start after the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), an independent advisory body, completes its review.
The COVID -19 vaccine brands currently part of the Philippine inventory and have been cleared for emergency use are Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik V, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).
Janssen is the sole single-dose vaccine currently approved for use in the country while the rest are two-dose vaccines./PN
