The Bacolod City and Negros Occidental governments are waiting for the green light from the national government to begin administering COVID-19 booster shots for healthcare workers and senior citizens.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, October 25, that the Negros Occidental provincial government is ready to administer the booster shots as soon as it gets the green light to do so.
“I hope it will be supported also by more vaccines,” he said.
Lacson said they are also waiting for the green light for the vaccination of minors.
Bacolod City is ready to administer the booster shorts but has not received an advisory from the national government yet, Dr. Chris Sorongon, Emergency Operations Center deputy for medical data and analysis, also said Monday.
Sorongon said they were informed that the advisory for the vaccination of health care workers will be released in November and for senior citizens next year.
“We will wait for the advisories of the National Operations Vaccination Centre,” he said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was reported to have approved on Monday the recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to inoculate COVID-19 booster shots, but no date was set on when it would start.
The HTAC had recommended the administration of booster shots to healthcare workers and senior citizens at least six months after they have completed the primary COVID-19 vaccine series.*