OUTGOING Navotas City Mayor and Congressman-elect Toby Tiangco questioned the Memorandum Order issued by the Department of Health (DOH) stating that only senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals and frontline healthcare workers should be given second COVID booster.

Mayor Tiangco asked the National Vaccination Operation Center (NVOC) and the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to comment on the memorandum order as ne noted that many Navoteños are willing to get the second booster shot but are not yet eligible according to the DOH guidelines.

The mayor pointed out that data issued by health authorities showed low uptake of second booster of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines by A-1, A-2 and A3 priority groups.

“When there are enough vaccines with near to reaching its expiry, what is the logic behind making the 2nd booster exclusive to the above priority groups on the one hand, and disallow all other sectors that are most willing to get their 2nd booster, on the other?” Tiangco asked.

“At the very least, what is the logic of disallowing privately procured vaccines, which are near to reaching its expiry, that are being donated to the government, including LGUs, from being administered as 2nd booster to members of all other sectors who are requesting to be administered with their 2nd booster shot?” he added.

Tiangco further said the second booster will enhance the protection of those exposed to COVID, including the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1.

Records showed that as of June 14, Navotas has administered 219,066 first doses; 217,854 second doses, 59,944 first booster, and 2,817 second booster. The city also has a stock of 32,860 doses of Astrazeneca; 4,096, Sinovac; 1,428, Sinopharm; and 47,550, Pfizer.

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Edd Reyes