The Philippine government will prioritize healthcare workers or those under the A1 category once booster shot inoculation gets approved in the country, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has said.
Galvez said the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 had begun negotiations with booster shot manufacturers.
“We are awaiting for the recommendation and evaluation of the NITAG (National Immunization Technical Advisory Group) as well as from the World Health Organization on the need for booster shots in the country,” he said on Thursday.
The Philippine health department has yet to approve the use of booster shots to further protect an individual against Covid-19.
“But once they give us the cue that boosters are needed, we will process and arrange the procurement,” Galvez said.
The Philippines has fully vaccinated over 14 million individuals as of Sept. 2, far behind its 50 to 70 million target by yearend.
The country has allocated P45 billion for the procurement of booster shots against Covid-19. John Ezekiel J. Hirro