Booster vax drive, PAGASA get lift
THE Philippines is often visited by typhoons, many of which are so destructive. They kill many Filipinos and destroy a lot of properties. They eventually hurt the country’s economy.
Thus, it’s important for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) – the agency that warns us against incoming typhoons – to be always functional.
With this in mind, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) recently turned over P41 million in check to PAGASA as payment for the latter’s insurance claim on its damaged Doppler Weather Surveillance equipment.
The turnover ceremony was held last June 14 at the DOST-PAGASA office in Quezon City.
The weather forecasting equipment stationed at the Basco Weather Radar Station in Batanes was severely damaged by Typhoon Ferdie in Batanes.
Under Republic Act 656 or the Property Insurance Law, all government agencies are required to insure its properties with GSIS. With the fund, PAGASA can now rehabilitate its damaged equipment and render quality service to the public.
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To boost the government’s booster vaccination campaign against COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) is setting up vaccination sites in areas commonly visited by the public, such as schools, public markets and churches within a community.
The DOH intended to implement a “settings approach” or establishment of inoculation sites in public spaces to bring the first booster doses closer to the target population, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
As of July 11, only about 15.3 million have an up-to-date vaccination status or have received the first booster shot.
About 71 million are fully vaccinated or have completed the primary series and more than 954,000 Filipinos have received the second booster shot.
The DOH would look for the elderly and individuals with comorbidities who have yet to receive the primary series of Covid-19 vaccines.
Recently, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said the boosted population is “still very low” at less than 20 percent of the target population.
He said it was “high time” to mandate the booster vaccination to the general population.
Citing the vaccination numbers of neighboring Southeast Asian countries, Solante said Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have reached more than 50 percent of the target population for the booster doses.
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