HININGAN ng komento ni Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco ang National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) at Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) kung bakit ang ikalawang COVID booster ay ibinibigay lamang sa piling grupo.

Sa kanyang liham, binigyang-diin ni Tiangco na maraming Navoteño na payag masaksakan ng second booster shot ngunit hindi pa “eligible” ayon sa mga panuntunan ng Department of Health (DOH).

Nakasaad sa DOH Memorandum No. 2022-0206 na bukod sa immunocompromised individuals, tanging senior citizens at frontline healthcare workers ang maaaring bigyan ng second booster ng Moderna at Pfizer vaccines.

Gayunpaman, iginiit ni Tiangco na batay sa datos ng pamahalaan ay mababa ang naging pagtanggap sa bakuna ng nasabing priority groups.

“When there are enough vaccines with near to reaching its expiry, what is the logic behind making the 2nd booster exclusive to the above priority groups on the one hand, and disallow all other sectors that are most willing to get their 2nd booster, on the other?” tanong ni Tiangco.

“At the very least, what is the logic of disallowing privately procured vaccines, which are near to reaching its expiry, that are being donated to the government, including LGUs, from being administered as 2nd booster to members of all other sectors who are requesting to be administered with their 2nd booster shot?” dagdag niya.

Idinagdag ng alkalde na palalakasin ng second booster ang proteksyon kontra COVID-19, kasama ang Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1.

Hanggang Hunyo 14, nakapagbigay na ang Navotas ng 219,066 first doses; 217,854 second doses, 59,944 first booster, at 2,817 second booster.

Ang lungsod ay mayroon pang stock na 32,860 doses ng Astrazeneca; 4,096, Sinovac; 1,428, Sinopharm; at 47,550, Pfizer. (ALAIN AJERO)