Philippine Medical Association president Dr. Benito Atienza urged fully vaccinated individuals to receive their booster shots for added layer of protection against severe Covid-19 and death from the disease.
Booster shot or a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine is safe even for senior citizens and immunocompromised. Atienza said that if one is given “first and second dose and there are no reactions, there will be no problem with the third dose.”
He added that there are doctors in all vaccination sites who examine and review the medical history of each individual before they are recommended to be inoculated. Vaccinees stay at the inoculation sites for post assessment for possible adverse effects.
Atienza stressed that seniors and immune-compromised persons who are hesitant about the effects of booster shot on them need not worry as doctors may now administer Covid-19 vaccines in their private clinics.
He said the Department of Health (DOH) will be laying down the requirements for all private clinics nationwide capable of implementing Covid-19 vaccination.
The vaccines will be provided by the DOH in coordination with the local government units and the private clinics will have the responsibility to store them in refrigerators with the right temperature.
This effort aims to help individuals having a hard time to find a schedule for vaccination because of their work and to address vaccine hesitancy among the elderly and individuals with comorbidities.
The government, he added, is still studying the need for a yearly Covid-19 vaccination. Experts worldwide are monitoring the development of the Sars-CoV-2 alongside the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines targeting specific variants.