President Rodrigo Duterte received the second dose of his Covid-19 vaccine late based on the advice of his doctor, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said on Wednesday.
Duterte received his second Covid-19 vaccine dose on July 12, 70 days or 10 weeks after his first jab.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a three-to-four-week interval in administering two Sinopharm doses.
“Noong tinurukan po si presidente, present po iyong kaniyang personal physician. Hindi po nagpakita sa camera, pero he was present, so that’s a decision po of his attending physician,” Roque said in a virtual presser.
“Iyan po ay isang bagay na between the president and his attending physician,” Roque added.
Duterte was inoculated by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
The president was jabbed with the Sinopharm vaccine, the only vaccine in the Philippines whose emergency use license was applied for by the Department of Health.
Roque also said that Duterte would not be receiving booster shots.
“Hindi po [siya magbo-booster shots] dahil sa isang Talk to the People [address], sabi naman ni presidente, kinuha ang kaniyang antibodies at napakataas ng kaniyang antibody count,” the spokesman said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro