Palace: Population protection first before boosters

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday urged the public to wait until a majority of the population gets vaccinated against COVID-19 before seeking a booster shot, as the Philippines contends with a limited supply of pandemic jabs.

Authorities have vowed to look into reports that a man was able to avail himself of a Moderna jab in Quezon City this month despite getting fully vaccinated with Sinovac shots in Mandaluyong last May.

The health department has not approved the administering of booster shots to fully vaccinated persons, citing the lack of data on safety.

“We are not tolerating that (getting booster shots) because many remain unvaccinated. Our appeal is since all vaccines provide protection, so let us wait for the majority of our countrymen to be vaccinated before we seek booster shots,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

“Vaccine is the only way to end this pandemic. Let us allow everyone to achieve population protection before we get booster shots,” he added.

Roque said exceptions can be made for overseas Filipino workers, including seafarers whose employers require specific vaccine brands.

“But at the same time, if you are a seafarer and you need a particular brand, do not get yourself injected with another brand. Get a brand required by your employers so we can give the other vaccines to others who also need them,” the Palace spokesman said.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the filing of charges against persons who allegedly got third doses of pandemic jabs in the city.

A total of 27.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines as of Aug. 15. More than 15 million have received their first dose while 12.56 million have had their second shot.

Metro Manila mayors aim to administer 250,000 doses of COVID-19 jabs per day while the capital region is on a two-week lockdown, which started last Aug. 6 and will end on Aug. 20.

The capital region, home to more than 12 million people, has been classified as “high risk” because of the rapid increase in COVID-19 infections.

Not bad

Asked if the Palace is satisfied with the vaccine rollout in Metro Manila, Roque replied: “Cases are on the rise so many people are hesitant to go out. But it (number of vaccines administered daily) is not that low. If our target is (250,000), we are reaching about 230,000 a day. So, that is not bad at all.”

“If we continue, we will achieve our goal to distribute four million (doses) in Metro Manila before the end of our ECQ (enhanced community quarantine). So we are on our way to vaccinating at least 50 percent of our population here in Metro Manila,” he added.

The government aims to vaccinate at least 50 million people before the end of the year.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday it was backing proposals for local government units to pass ordinances penalizing the use of government-procured COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots.

“I support the idea of MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos. We need to inoculate as much as we can. Those selfish individuals wanting booster shots would deny the opportunities for others to be fully vaccinated,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a message to reporters.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, for his part, urged the public to strictly follow minimum public health standards and quarantine protocols amid the detection of a COVID-19 Lambda variant case in the country.

Data from the PNP showed that from Aug. 6 to 15, a total of 401,979 violators have been flagged nationwide – 29,176 from Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.

“It’s saddening that in the middle of a continuous surge in COVID-19 cases, the number of violators also continues to rise, especially in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” he said.

Eleazar said that he had directed all police officers to closely monitor developments in the detection of Lambda variant in the country.

The Department of Health said that the first Lambda variant case is a 35-year-old female who has already recovered from the disease.

The Lambda variant – a variant of interest – is believed to be more transmissible and vaccine-resistant than the original COVID strain.

Better Christmas

Despite alarming developments including the detection of Lambda variant in the country, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. reported to President Duterte on Sunday that the government is on the right track in its vaccination program, and that a better Christmas is on the horizon.

In an executive summary of his report on the vaccination program dated Aug. 13, Galvez said the Philippines has administered over 26 million doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

“Philippines has administered a total of 26,677,269 doses with 14,495,263 individuals had taken the first dose while 12,182,006 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated, which represent 17.19 percent of the targeted eligible population and 11.05 percent of the Philippines’ total population,” Galvez said.

He cited last week’s daily average of “496,869 doses and a total throughput of 3,478,082 jabs for the past 7 days.”

“On our supply, Philippines already received a total of 42,106,150 doses. For August, we already received a total of 8,245,450 doses and we are expecting to receive a total of 22,841,100 doses before the end of August,” Galvez said.

He also thanked the US government and Moderna for providing the country with “very effective vaccine.”

On Sunday, 469,200 doses of US-made Moderna vaccine arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“I would like to thank the US government and Moderna for allowing us to have access to these very effective vaccines. We are very thankful that Moderna has given us regular deliveries,” Galvez said.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said experts are now looking for other COVID-19 vaccines that can be used as second dose for those already given Sputnik V jabs as first dose.

“The components of the first dose and second dose are different and that’s why we are waiting for the shipment of second dose,” she noted.

Vergeire added the government has already written the manufacturer of Sputnik V vaccines to demand the delivery of the second dose on schedule.

“If they cannot deliver, then they should advice us already so we can properly identify options for our citizens who were given the first dose of Sputnik V vaccines,” she said.

But experts are currently studying the different vaccines available in the country to determine “what would be the most appropriate to partner with Sputnik V.”

“As of this time, we don’t have complete evidence yet whether it would be AstraZeneca or Sputnik Light. We still do not have complete evidence (on vaccine mixing),” she added.

Eight COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

Of these vaccines, only AstraZeneca and Janssen are made of technology platform “viral vector (non-replicating)” just like Sputnik V.

AstraZeneca, however, is a two-dose regimen vaccine while Janssen is given in a single dose. – Sheila Crisostomo, Neil Jayson Servallos, Jose Rodel Clapano