Mayor urges elderly, healthcare workers to avail of 2nd booster dose

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas urged senior citizens and healthcare workers in the metro to avail of the second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines amid the low vaccination turn out for booster doses in Iloilo City.

Treñas said the city government can now start administering 2^nd booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines for senior citizens and healthcare workers.

“Sige pa aton vaccination nagsugod naman ang senior citizens kag health workers pwede na ka second dose. Kon pwede nga tana na lang ang pwede maka-second dose dapat masecond dose na lang kay gamay lang ang nagapa-booster,” he said in a previous media interview.

According to Treñas, those who are qualified to avail of the second booster dose must have themselves vaccinated to protect themselves especially against the new Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1.

“Gina-encourage second dose may additional protection especially subong nga may mga bag-o na nga variants of concern na nga nagasulod diri sa aton,” he added.

Last May 18, 2022, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that the senior citizens (Priority Group A2) and frontline health workers (Priority Group A1) can now avail of a second booster shot, particularly mRNA vaccines such as Moderna and Pfizer, to strengthen immunity against the COVID-19 virus, including the latest Omicron subvariant.

Based on the DOH guidelines for the administration of second booster doses for individuals eighteen (18) years old and above belonging to Priority Group A1 or frontline health workers and Priority Group A2 or senior citizens, the vaccines to be used are Pfizer and Moderna. Administration of the second booster dose, must be given at least four months after the administration of the first booster dose.

In Iloilo City, Treñas said qualified individuals can avail of the second booster shot at the different health centers in the metro.

The mayor added that he already turned over vaccine doses to the different city hospitals for the vaccination of their healthcare workers.

“We continue to open our district health centers para mas mahapos sa luyag magpabooster dose. Ginhatagan ko naman ang mga ospital para sila na lang magpamakuna sang ila mga employees,” he said.

Based on the data from the City Health Office (CHO), a total of 148,051 Ilonggos have availed of booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines, as of May 25, 2022.

Out of the said number, 147,321 or 28.06% availed of the 1^st booster dose while only 730 or 0.14% received the second booster dose. (DG).