DOH urges healthcare workers to obtain 2nd Covid-19 booster

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) urged health workers to get their second Covid-19 booster shot.

“Among those healthcare workers na hindi pa ho nakakapag second booster shot, tayo po still encouraging them,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

“We cannot mandate for them to have the second booster and tell them you cannot work. We cannot do that as a precondition,” she added.

The DOH recently stated that 592,202 health workers in the country have yet to receive their second booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine.

However, according to Vergeire, this number of health workers without a second booster is not yet a cause for concern as of this time.

“As I’ve said the evidence really points that kapag naka first booster shot ka, it gives you more protection,” she said.

“The protection is still there to guard you from having this severe and critical infection,” she added.

Currently, the second booster shot is only recommended for health workers, individuals aged 50 and above, and those aged 18 to 49.