disease – Page 6 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Spectators at the 31st SEA Games are not required to take COVID-19 tests

April 19, 2022April 18, 2022carlocarrasco

Are you planning to personally visit Vietnam and watch the many sports events of the delayed 31^st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31^st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) live as a sports spectator? While it is true that Vietnam has been opened to foreign tourists for over a month now, there are still requirements that need to be fulfilled before enjoying the freedom of touring and discovering the nation.

As it is the Southeast Asian region’s biggest sports event, the SEA Games are indeed highly crucial to the tourism goals of host city Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam. Recently, the Vietnam authorities announced that spectators at the SEA Games are not required to take COVID-19 tests, according to a report by VietnamPlus.vn.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the VietnamPlus.vn article. Some parts in boldface…

Spectators watching competitions in person during the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) will not be required to take COVID-19 tests before enter the stadiums, according to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health on April 16 regarding COVID-19 control measures during the regional sport event.

According to the guidelines, guests to the event at deputy ministerial level and above, as well as heads and deputy heads of sport delegations neither need to show negative COVID-19 testing results when entering Vietnam nor take testing after arrival. They also do not need to take quarantine.

Meanwhile, sport officials, referees and athletes are required to have certified negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP testing results taken within 72 hours or rapid antigen testing within 24 hours before entering Vietnam, but not required to take quarantine.

Coaches and athletes will need to take COVID-19 rapid tests 24 hours before each competition.

The guidelines also list COVID-19 control measures to be implemented at accommodation facilities for guests and athletes, with the setting up of SARS-CoV-2 testing areas and teams providing medical and food safety services for them. Quarantine and treatment rooms will also be arranged for COVID-19 patients with no or mild symptoms.

Athletes will travel in closed routes between their accommodation, training and competition venues.

The stadium hosting the opening and closing ceremonies will be disinfected before the events, while medical teams will stand by to give emergency aids and COVID-19 tests to persons who are suspected to infected with the disease.

Games will take place with either no spectator or with limited or unlimited number of spectators depending on COVID-19 situation at the host locality.

In case a COVID-19 patient is detected, the patient will take quarantine at their accommodation or treatment at medical centres depending on their health conditions.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: In case you will be visiting Vietnam as a tourist immediately, do you plan to watch a SEA Games event as a spectator at the sports venue? How important are the SEA Games for you personally?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Booster shots prioritized by Muntinlupa City authorities

April 12, 2022April 10, 2022carlocarrasco

You must have heard about the fearful reactions to recent news about members of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) who expressed that a surge of new COVID-19 cases will happen soon due to potential entry of Omicron XE in the country. To those of you reading this, even if you don’t believe in the news, if you are fully vaccinated but have not yet been boosted, I encourage you to get your booster shot as soon as possible. In the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government will deploy more vaccination personnel around the city to increase the number of booster shots on the constituents, as reported by the Manila Bulletin. To be clear, the total number of boosted patients in the city is a little over 120,000.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government will deploy vaccination teams to different workplaces and public transport terminals to increase the number of booster shot recipients.

As of April 7, a total of 122,149 individuals in Muntinlupa have received their booster shots, or 25 percent of the 486,579 who are fully vaccinated and 28 percent of 442,517, equivalent to 80 percent of Muntinlupa total population of 553,146.

The total fully vaccinated population is 110 percent of the 80 percent target.

Dr. Rajendra Yadav, acting World Health Organization (WHO) representative to the Philippines, said on April 6 that a surge in Covid-19 cases is quite likely in the country in the next two months due to unsafe gatherings and social mixing.

In April and May, Filipinos will observe Ramadan and Holy Week, and participate in election activities, the WHO noted.

Muntinlupa City Health Office (CHO) acting chief Dr. Juancho Bunyi said his office will deploy “Rolling Bakuna” (mobile vaccination) to increase booster shot rate and vaccination coverage among 12 to 17 years old.

CHO will continue advocacy and information dissemination in different schools through principals and school nurses, social media and media platforms.

The city government will also enhance vaccination at local jails and at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi urged residents to get their booster shots and for those who haven’t received their Covid-19 jab yet to get vaccinated as protection from the adverse effects of the virus.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this newest development? If you are fully vaccinated but have not yet been boosted, does this latest news convince you to get your booster shot?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Las Piñas City’s 25th Cityhood Anniversary and 115th Founding Anniversary commemorated

March 29, 2022March 27, 2022carlocarrasco

This past weekend, Las Piñas City had a dual commemoration of its legacy and its people. With a series of commemorative events, the Las Piñas had its 25^th cityhood anniversary on March 26 followed by its 115^th founding anniversary on March 27.

To put things in perspective, posted below are key details related to the dual commemoration as posted by the City Government on its official Facebook page in recent times. Some parts in boldface…

The City Government has reached 91% of its first dose COVID-19 vaccination of the total city population as well as having boosted almost 200,000 local residents as of March 24. As it continues its usual vaccination operations, the City Health Office (CHO) teams are conducting house-to-house vaccination specifically for the first dose, second dose and booster shots. The local vaccination program for students was launched.

The City Government is offering up to P30,000 hospitalization support to residents related to the issuance of “green cards” under its health program. Mayor Aguilar emphasized that the green card initiatives can be used in five accredited hospitals including Las Piñas Doctors Hospital, Las Piñas Medical Hospital, Perpetual Help Medical Center-Las Piñas, Philippine General Hospital and S John de Dios Hospital.

A local job fair conducted by the City Government through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) resulted in the on-the-spot hiring of 182 applicants.

On March 25 at City Hall, a painting exhibition took place specifically at the lobby. The exhibition showcased the city’s renovation and development.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, are you happy about the quality of life within the city? Are you satisfied with the public services rendered by the City Government? Do you believe that Las Piñas will emerge as one of the most prosperous cities of the entire Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

31st SEA Games official slogan is “For a stronger Southeast Asia”

March 28, 2022March 28, 2022carlocarrasco

The highly anticipated 31^st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31^st SEA Games or Hanoi 2021) is about 45 days away from formally opening in the city of Hanoi in Vietnam. Originally scheduled for 2021, the SEA Games this May will be significant not only because it will be the first time the regional sports gathering will be held during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it will test the resolve of the Southeast Asian members with regards to sports events organizing, location control and, of course, handling the participation of the many athletes from the member nations who will take part in a wide variety of sports competitions. The determination and focus on proceeding with the biggest sports event of the region (scheduled for May 12 to 23, 2022 although there will be some events taking place before the opening ceremony happens) is already being reflected with the newly unveiled official 31^st SEA Games slogan called “For a stronger Southeast Asia”, as well with the official event song titled ‘Hay toa sang’ (Let’s shine), as reported by VietnamPlus.vn.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of VietnamPlus.VN. Some parts in boldface…

Communications for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) have been bolstered as the region’s biggest sports event is approaching.

The official song for the Games ‘Hay toa sang’ (Let’s shine), composed by renown composer Huy Tuan, has been unveiled, showing the pride on the culture and people of Vietnam, and highlighting sportsmanship as well as efforts to achieve the best results, with lyrics in Vietnamese language and chorus in English.

The song also sends a message of development, solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and international friends.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Le Thi Hoang Yen said the song’s lyric is simple and easy to learn. It is hoped to encourage athletes and be favoured by sports fans at home and abroad.

The event’s slogan “For a stronger Southeast Asia” is to convey a message of solidarity to build a thriving ASEAN Community and further promote its role in the international arena.

Earlier, the regional sport events’ official logo and mascot have been introduced, with the logo symbolising a flying bird and a V-shaped hand and the mascot based on the saola – a rare animal listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of Endangered Species.

The saola, scientifically known as Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, is dubbed the Asian Unicorn because it is so rarely seen, looks like an antelope in appearance, and is recognised by its two parallel horns with sharp ends which can reach up to 50 cm in length.

The species was first discovered in May 1992 by a joint team from the MARD and the World Wide Fund for Nature during a trip surveying Vu Quang National Park in the central province of Ha Tinh, near Vietnam’s border with Laos.

For the newcomers reading this, the delayed 31^st SEA Games is indeed pushing through as planned with the opening set for May 12 and closing on May 23. While the daily reports about Vietnam having over 100,000 new COVID-19 cases recorded looks intimidating, the SEA Games organizers are still laser-focused on proceeding with the competitions and Vietnam itself reopened its borders to foreign visitors and dropped COVID-19 restrictions on the said visitors. Already COVID-19 prevention and control measures specific to the SEA Games have been implemented.

The 31st SEA Games will be huge as it will take place in Hanoi and in the eleven neighboring localities. There will be forty specific sports and more than five hundred events. About 10,000 participants are expected to join in. A lot of preparations are being done by both Vietnam and the SEA Games members (and their respective athletes who qualified). The 31^st SEA Games is something that should not be missed.

For additional insight about the 31st SEA Games and Vietnam, watch the videos below…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the official slogan of the 31^st SEA Games? Do you believe that even as Vietnam is struggling with very high COVID-19 cases, the SEA Games will be done orderly and successfully this May? Would you happen to know if someone in your local community qualified to represent your country in the SEA Games in Vietnam?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Have you received your booster shot already?

March 23, 2022March 22, 2022carlocarrasco

Are you one of the many millions of people here in the Philippines who got fully vaccinated (received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccines) for COVID-19 months ago? By now, you should be eligible to receive your booster shot and I wonder if your local government’s vaccination team contacted you about the said shot. Also, have you taken the effort to contact the local vaccination team about getting boosted?

The reason I ask these questions because only a minority of the Philippines’ fully vaccinated population got boosted and the number of boosted people is growing so slowly as revealed in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…

An infectious disease expert on Monday urged fully vaccinated individuals to get their booster shots to prevent another surge of Covid-19 cases.

In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Edsel Salvaña said that the resurgence of infections is a possibility since Covid-19 “showed surprises worldwide”.

“We have tools with which we have turned Covid into almost an endemic virus. Kung mapapagpatuloy pa natin ‘to, wala na pong bagong variant na lumabas, tuloy-tuloy na po ‘yan (If we can continue these, no new variant comes out, these will go on) towards endemicity,” he said.

The administration of a fourth dose for the immunocompromised, Salvaña said, is being studied as data are “still very preliminary” worldwide.

To date, 65,171,415 Filipinos are fully vaccinated while 11,530,728 of them have booster shots.

The vaccination for the pediatric sector also continues to gain momentum, with some 11 million aged 5 to 17 receiving at least one dose.

This number is expected to increase following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the use of the Sinovac vaccine for minors, pending the release of the final guidelines.

As seen in the above report, only 11,530,728 people successfully got boosted. That number is only 17.69% of the grand total 65,171,415. Still a very long way to go before the count of the boosted patients even comes close to the grand total.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been fully vaccinated already, how long has it been since that happened? If you have not received your booster shot yet, have you tried contacting the local vaccination team to verify if you are eligible and if there is a booster shot reserved for you?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 prevention and control measures for 31st SEA Games in Vietnam set

March 22, 2022March 21, 2022carlocarrasco

With less than two months left before the 31^st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31^st SEA Games or Hanoi 2021) officially opens on May 12, 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam, the national authorities established COVID-19 prevention and control measures in connection to the said games, according to the report published by VietnamPlus.vn. Indeed, the SEA Games of 2021 are pushing through as planned even though the number of new COVID-19 cases in Vietnam are very high.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of VietnamPlus.VN. Some parts in boldface…

The host Vietnam has built COVID-19 prevention and control measures, part of the preparations for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), as regional sports delegations show a concern about the work.

At the recent second Chefs de Mission Meeting of the Games, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Tran Duc Phan told delegates that in the face of complex developments of COVID-19, Vietnam has devised three options of allowing full capacity, restricting or barring spectators.

In case no fans are allowed in competition venues over COVID-19 concerns, all individuals are required to wear face masks, except for competing athletes. If capacity restrictions are observed, seats will be arranged to maintain distance among spectators. As for the no-restriction plan, spectators must still observe the 5K message on the prevention of the spread of the virus.

The commute of sports delegations and athletes must be held in a closed routine. Arrivals will take COVID-19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours.

Any found contracting the virus may stay in quarantine at hotels if they develop no or mild symptoms. Those with severe symptoms will be transferred to assigned medical facilities.

Athletes having contact with COVID-19 positives are eligible to compete and not be quarantined.

The organising board will cover COVID-19 testing and treatment costs for medical incidents handled at competition venues and accommodation facilities. Sports delegations are to bear hospital bills, insurance and other costs.

For additional insight about the SEA Games and the reopening of the nation to foreign visitors, watch the videos below…

Vietnam recently reopened its borders for foreign tourists (for references, click here and here). The COVID-19 crisis negatively impacted Vietnam’s tourism industry and like any other nation, there is a drive to achieve economic recovery which means creating jobs for the unemployed, generating additional economic activities for the surviving businesses, and more . On face value, the delayed SEA Games is key in helping Vietnam achieve recovery. Local tourism insiders state that the recovery of the tourism industry will take a long time. At this point, it remains to be seen how much of an impact the SEA Games in Hanoi will have on the nation’s ability to attract visitors from overseas.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you looking forward to the 31^st SEA Games? Does the current high number of new COVID-19 cases in Vietnam concern you? Do you think that the announced COVID-19 prevention and control measures are sufficient? Among the many sports events of the 31^st SEA Games, which one interests you the most?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City earns praise from DOH and MMCHD

March 17, 2022March 16, 2022carlocarrasco

The City of Las Piñas is on a roll once again as it as Mayor Imelda Aguilar announced that they earned the praise of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) for their orderly setup with regards to the vaccine and ancillary storage facilities, the Manila Bulletin reported.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Las Pinas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage areas earned praise from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) for its orderly setup.

Aguilar said the team of DOH Central Office and the MMCHD Logistics visited the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage areas on March 15.

She said the team composed of Irah Umadac, Ferdinand dela Cruz, Anne Bernabe and Carl Valeriano were escorted by City Health Office (CHO) officer-in-charge Dr. Julie Gonzales, Dra. Eleenor Gumpal and Dra. Anne Jagape, both of the National Immunization Program, during the inspection.

The mayor said the DOH and MCCHD commented that the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage facilities were properly maintained and the vaccines allocated to the city were well accounted for.

It is very nice to hear that the local authorities are doing good work with their vaccine and ancillary storage facilities. While we don’t know yet exactly how many doses of COVID-19 vaccines (including booster shots) are stored, rest assured they have supplies for the locals who need vaccinating or boosting. Take note that the City Government and its strategic partners are still doing COVID-19 vaccine operations around the city and recently their total inoculation count surpassed 1.3 million and to make vaccination more accessible to the locals, they also launched the vaccination bus.

For all the unvaccinated people reading this, any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Meanwhile, the City Government is already handling the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 5 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you happy to hear that your city earned the praise of the DOH and MMCHD?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City’s vaccination count surpasses 1.3 million

March 11, 2022March 9, 2022carlocarrasco

It took two weeks but Las Piñas City has finally surpassed the mark of 1,300,000 in its ongoing inoculation/vaccination count according to the most recent COVID-19 statistics the City Government announced via social media.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the latest display of data regarding Las Piñas City’s COVID-19 vaccination statistics.

As seen in the above statistics accurate of as March 6, 2022, the total inoculation count of the city has been recorded at 1,314,558 (almost 26,000 higher compared to the previous count of February 20, 2022). Their vaccination count of patients who received the first dose was at 585,882 while the number of patients who received their 2^nd dose (which made them fully vaccinated) has reached 560,876.

On the adult population, category A4 remains the most vaccinated with over 400,000 counted which includes the first dose, the second dose and Janssen vaccination. On the Pediatric A3 numbers, more than 100,000 patients aged 12 to 17 have been vaccinated (note: first and second dose numbers combined). Patients aged 5 to 11 who got vaccinated surpassed the mark of 20,000 (note: first and second dose numbers combined).

When it comes to the booster shots, the latest number is 182,678. That’s still a small number when compared to the city’s official count of patients who received their 2^nd dose.

As reported already in the news, the urgency to get vaccinated or boosted has faded somewhat with the public, especially in Metro Manila and other areas that have been placed under Alert Level 1 status. The local government units (LGUs) and the national authorities will have to come up with ways to encourage the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, as well as encouraging the fully vaccinated patients to get their free booster shots. Think about this carefully. If not enough people get vaccinated/boosted at the vaccination sites because many are enjoying the freedom of Alert Level 1, then it can lead to the spoilage or expiration of many vaccines that end up unused.

For all the unvaccinated people reading this, any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Meanwhile, the City Government is already handling the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Did you notice that the lines at local vaccination sites have been shorter compared to just a few months ago? Do you think that anti-vaccination fanatics are influencing members of your local community to avoid vaccination?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Infectious disease expert says 2nd booster shot only recommended for senior citizens and immunocompromised patients for now

March 9, 2022March 7, 2022carlocarrasco

If you are a resident of Metro Manila, have you been enjoying the additional freedom of movement and spending more time inside commercial establishments under the Alert Level 1 status that has been in effect since March 1, 2022? Whatever you do, do not forget to follow health protocols. Equally important, you must remember your current status of vaccination and if you are due for a 2^nd booster shot (or the 4^th shot if you have already received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines).

Even as the Philippines has a little over 10 million people who got their booster shots (3^rd shot), the 2^nd booster shot (meant for those who received three doses previously) is already being talked about according to recent GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…

Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Monday said the second booster shot is only recommended for senior citizens and immunocompromised for now, and not yet for the younger or general population.

“For the more vulnerable population, the 60 years old and above, and immunocompromised, ito ‘yung ina-ano natin ngayon na sana mabigyan ng pangalawang booster para talaga ang protection dito is against the severe form of COVID,” Solante said in a radio interview.

[We are pushing for a second booster shot for the more vulnerable population like the 60 years old and above and the immunocompromised, so they could get protected against the severe form of COVID-19.]

Solante then explained that the health experts’ advice remains for those who have completed their primary vaccine series to get one booster shot after three to six months.

“For the younger population, ‘yung tinatawag nating immunocompetent, I don’t think we need additional booster. With the ability of this vaccine to protect us against severe infection, alam naman talaga natin na pwede rin tayong mahawahan pero ang importante nito, hindi tayo mag-severe [we know that we can still be infected but the important thing is that it’s not severe],” he said.

“So I think, the first booster for the younger population may be enough. Wala pa tayong [we don’t have yet] recommendation for a second booster,” he added.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said on Saturday that vaccinations at local government units nationwide slowed down the past week, with some people losing the sense of urgency when it comes to booster shots.

This is why the priority for the fourth wave of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” national vaccination drive will be senior citizens who have not yet completed their primary dose series and those set for booster shots.

“Napaka-importante especially with the vulnerable population na sana pupunta kayo sa vaccination centers. ‘Yung hindi pa nagpa-booster, magpa-booster na kayo. ‘Yung hindi pa nagpabakuna, ito na ‘yung panahon na talagang kailangan na tayong magpabakuna,” Solante added.

[It is very important especially for the vulnerable population to go to vaccination centers. Those who have not received their booster shots yet, get it now. Those who have not been vaccinated, this is the time when we really need to be vaccinated.]

Currently, the Philippine government is administering third doses to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, while booster shots are given to those who completed the primary doses–single for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, double for the other bands.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been boosted already, how long has it been since that happened? Do you remember the specific brands of vaccines of your first two doses and the booster dose?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Booster shots received by ten million people all over the Philippines

March 4, 2022March 2, 2022carlocarrasco

As the heavily congested Metro Manila is now on its 4^th day under the Alert Level 1 status, people are now enjoying more freedom of movement and the food-beverage business joints are able to accommodate more customers who physically spend time at their respective venues. Along the way, there are some noticeable positive developments about business in the Philippines getting reported. Regardless, there is still the need to keep on following health protocols and face masks are still to be used even though the national daily count of new COVID-19 cases remains relatively low.

There is, however, the need to be vaccinated as well as boosted for COVID-19. No matter how loud the anti-vaccine fanatics rant and complain, nothing changes the fact that COVID-19 vaccines are a major factor on helping the Philippines gradually recover and rise up from this pandemic. More on the topic vaccination, it was revealed that the number of fully vaccinated patients (those who received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccine brands) who got boosted (the 3^rd shot/booster shot) has reached ten million, as stated in a recent report by the Manila Bulletin. The number of fully vaccinated people in the Philippines is over sixty million.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

A total of 63 million individuals in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but only 10 million individuals have so far received their booster jab, said National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa on Tuesday, March 1.

Herbosa, in an ANC interview, reiterated the importance of a booster jab despite having been “fully immunized” against the disease.

“The idea of the booster is to just increase your immunity. You already have immunity. Let me make that clear: if you are fully vaccinated, your immunity does not disappear but your antibodies actually wane. That’s why the booster shot stimulates your immune system to produce more antibodies against COVID-19,” said Herbosa.

He also added that while it stimulates the immune system in producing more antibodies, it actually gives “additional protection” against the disease and its emerging variants.

Meanwhile, Herbosa disclosed that the booster inoculation is one of the “slow parts” of the country’s vaccination program.

“Kailangan magpa-booster ha. If you have been fully vaccinated, you should get boosted [as well]. This is another slow part of our vaccination program. We’ve vaccinated 63 million but only 10 million have come forward to get their booster shots. Reminder to the public na hindi enough ang two doses, kailangan kumuha rin tayo ng third dose (We need to get boosted. If you have been fully vaccinated, you should get boosted as well. This is another slow part of our vaccination program. We’ve vaccinated 63 million but only 10 million have come forward to get their booster shots. I just want to remind the public that two doses are not enough, we need to get boosted),” he added.

The above report ended stating that based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard statistics, 63,188,209 people were fully vaccinated while 10,137,607 people got their respective booster shots as of February 21, 2022. There is still a very long way to go before the booster shot count reaches 60,000,000.

While the Omicron variant does not look like a major problem anymore here in the Philippines, there is still that possibility that another coronavirus variant might come out. Whenever a new variant comes out, concerns or doubts about the protection provided by vaccines always emerge in people’s minds.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Are most of the people in your local community fully vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 already?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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