Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III encouraged Public Attorney's Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta to get inoculated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Unang una ako ay nanawagan kay PAO Chief Acosta na dahil palagay ko malapit na din sya maging senior citizen ay dapat mabigyan siya ng karagdagang proteksyon sa pamamagitan ng bakuna (First of all, I'm appealing to PAO Chief Acosta, who I think is almost a senior citizen, she must be given additional protection through vaccination),” said Duque on Thursday, Jan. 20.
The Health chief said that it is important for Acosta to get the COVID-19 jab since she also has underlying medical conditions.
“Nandito na ang bakuna natin, ayaw naman natin na malagay siya sa isang napakapeligrosong katayuan lalo na kapag ito ay severe to critical COVID infection na alam natin nabibiktima nito ang mga senior citizens at mga taong gaya ng sinabi njya meron daw siyang ibang mga sakit (The vaccines are already here. We don't want her to be in a very dangerous situation, especially when it is a severe to critical COVID infection--- which we know is affecting senior citizens and people like her with other illnesses),” said Duque.
“So, mas lalo na dapat magpabakuna sya bunsod ng kanyang comorbidities. So nakikiusap ako alang-alang sa kanyang kalusugan at sa buhay nya ay sumali na sya at magpabakuna na din siya (So, she should get vaccinated because of her comorbidities. For the sake of her health and life, she should get vaccinated),” he added.
In a television interview last Monday, Acosta said that she is not yet vaccinated. However, she noted that she is not an anti-vaxxer.