THE LOCAL government has rolled out the anti-COVID booster shots for the medical frontliners to increase their immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease.
In a radio interview Friday, Davao City COVID-19 Task Force spokesperson, Dr. Michelle Schlosser said that the booster dose vaccination drive started at the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) on Wednesday, Nov. 17.
The private tertiary hospitals, especially those accepting COVID-19 cases, are also allowed to administer booster doses using their own personnel and logistics. The government, meanwhile, will provide the vaccines.
“As of today nagsugod nata, sa SPMC pa atong rollout. As to tertiary hospitals ilabi na atong COVID-19 admitting hospitals, they are already given signal nga pwede na sila mag rollout for booster dose pero sila ang mag-arrange ana, especially logistics and human resource to do vaccination but we will provide the vaccines (As of today, so far, we have rollout for SPMC. As to tertiary hospitals, especially COVID-19 admitting hospitals, they are already given signal that they can rollout for booster dose but they will have to arrange for the human resources and logistics to do the vaccination but we will provide the vaccines),” Schlosser said.
Schlosser said the city has enough vaccines for the healthcare workers, including for the city-hired healthcare workers serving the 18 health districts. The city healthcare workers only need to wait for the final rollout schedule.
“Our medical frontliners sa city are also doing the vaccination rollout for the people. Dapat naa kita’y maayo nga plano nga dili ma-hamper, dili ma-stop ang vaccination rollout sa public while having the vaccination for booster dose (Our medical frontliners in the city are also doing the vaccination. We have to plan well so that the vaccination rollout for public will not be hampered or stopped while having the vaccination for booster dose),” she said.
As of Nov. 17, the Davao City Vaccination Cluster reported that a total of 57,520 healthcare workers have been fully vaccinated while 62,221 have received their first dose.
Schlosser in a previous interview said that the priority group A1 may choose to receive for booster dose either the same brand of his/her primary series (homologous booster) or another brand (heterogenous booster).
