MANILA, Philippines 鈥� COVID-19 vaccination, even the administration of booster doses, remains voluntary, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
The health agency鈥檚 remark came after state-run Philippine 黑料社 Agency published a story, saying that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. required the first booster shot, heeding the DOH鈥檚 proposal.
The Philippine 黑料社 Agency takes down its story saying President Marcos has required first booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine for Filipinos following DOH's proposal.
鈥� Nestor A. Corrales (@NCorralesINQ)
鈥淲ala pong binigay na statement ang ating gobyerno, ang kagawaran na ang atin pong pagbabakuna ay mandatory. We also did not give any statements that boosters will become mandatory. Wala po 鈥榶an sa ating direksyon, wala rin po 鈥榶an sa ating mga pronouncements,鈥� Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum.
(Our government and the agency have not issued any statement that vaccination is mandatory. We also did not give any statements that boosters will become mandatory. That is not in our direction and that is not in our pronouncements.)
鈥淎ng atin pong sinasabi kailangan lang po talaga maitaas po natin ang antas ng booster doses uptake dito po sa ating bansa dahil nakikita po natin, and even our experts, are saying that our immunity for our population is already waning,鈥� she added.
(What we are saying is we have to improve our booster doses uptake in the country because we, and even our experts, are saying that our immunity for our population is already waning.)
FILE PHOTO: DOH Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire. INQUIRER FILES
Marcos Jr. earlier expressed support for giving anti-COVID booster shots to children as the new administration targets to impose 100 percent in-person classes by November.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said that redefining the term 鈥渇ully vaccinated鈥� to include the first booster shot is still under review.
She also noted that Marcos Jr. was 鈥渧ery supportive鈥� of the DOH during their meeting.