BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Persons with comorbidities and senior citizens will be prioritized in availing of COVID-19 booster shots, disclosed yesterday by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
But Lacson said they are still waiting a green light from the national government to start administering booster shots.
The Department of Health said it plans to start administering the third dose by November 15.
Lacson, however, said that they are still giving priority to those who have yet to be vaccinated.
As to the brands of vaccines to be applied in booster shots, he said that the instruction “what is available to us”.
Negros Occidental has a total of 367,775 of 1,825,370 target individuals who are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while about 475,000 got their first doses
The provincial government is targeting 1,825,370 of its 2.6 million population of Negros Occidental to be vaccinated, in order to achieve herd immunity in the fight against COVID-19.
Lacson said that they are now putting responsibility to the barangay captains to create demands for vaccines in their respective areas.
MANDATORY VACCINATION
Lacson said he is in favor of mandatory vaccination for government employees, as long as it is legal.
I am just wondering, if it is legal, why it cannot be a national law, instead, to make it mandatory for everyone, Lacson also said, noting also that the Department of Interior and Local Government pushes for LGUs to enact local ordinances, or issue an executive order for such purpose.
League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. earlier said they are open to issuing ordinances for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19.*
