Hindi na kailangan na bumili pa ng sobrang daming bivalent COVID-19 vaccines ang pamahalaan para sa inaasahang pagkasa ng second booster shot sa general population.
Ayon kay House Committee on Health vice-chair Angelica Natasha Co, naging sapat na aniya ang bakunang ibinigay sa karamihan ng mga Pilipino laban sa COVID kahit pa sumulpot ang ibang variants ng virus.
“The Department of Health need not acquire too many stocks of bivalent vaccines because the total 179 million COVID vaccine doses administered so far have been enough to protect the general population despite the many different variants that have been detected in the country,” ani Co.
Sakali man aniya na kailangan pa rin ang bivalent vaccines, maaaring nasa 30-40 million doses na ang aniya ang bilhin at ituon na lamang sa vulnerable sector gaya ng healthcare frontliners, immunocompromised, senior citizens at PWDs, mga working adult at college at high school students na nakatanggap na ng isa o 2 booster.
Maaari na rin aniya isama dito ang mga kabataan na may primary dosage at inbound at outbound travelers.
Mungkahi pa nito na gawing optional ang pagbabakuna gamit ang bivalent vaccine.
“Apparently, there is no longer any urgent need to give boosters to the vast majority of the country’s population. Factoring in as well the latest WHO guidance on the lesser need to provide boosters to those at medium risk. Bivalent boosters should be optional or voluntary for all working adults, including essential workers, who are not within any of the 10 categories already stated,” saad ng BHW Party-list solon. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
