The plan to place expiration dates on the Covid-19 vaccination cards as announced by a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official drew mixed reactions with some agreeing with the scheme while others rejecting the proposal outright.
A food stall owner from Bulacan who requested anonymity stressed that the government should not force anybody to get inoculated against the virus stressing that it violates the people’s right to choose.
She explained that her teenage daughters have allergies to certain medicines that made her decide not to have them vaccinated yet until a medical expert can guarantee their safety.
Further, the food business entrepreneur stressed some of her acquaintances are hesitant to have their children aged eight years and below injected with the Covid-19 vaccines as they prefer to wait for more results on the kids who were previously vaccinated.
“It is a wait and see situation for us, especially with my children having allergic reactions to many medicines,’’ the businesswoman added.
However, another food stall owner believes that people’s rights are not trampled by the vaccination card expiry proposal stressing they can reject the government’s call for them to be inoculated but naturally will have to bear the brunt of some restrictions due to health concerns.
“For the good of the majority, restriction must be imposed against unvaccinated people or those who have not gotten their primary doses and booster shots to prevent another Covid-19 surge,’’ he noted.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III earlier said that the government is eyeing to put expiration dates on the Covid-19 vaccination cards to encourage more people to get their booster shots.
“Well, isa po iyan sa pinag-uusapan namin ngayon, iyong, again, inuulit ko, iyong mga istratehiya on the policy side para iyong tao ay ma-force ‘no na magpabakuna or magpa-boosters (Well, it’s one of those things that we are discussing right now. Again, I am reiterating these strategies are on the policy side to force people to be vaccinated or have their booster shots),’’ Densing said.
Under the plan, Densing explained that the vaccination cards will expire if the individual fails to get the booster shots after six months.
Densing said most of those who have received their booster shots are from the National Capital Region but noted that people from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other provinces fell short in the number of fully vaccinated target population.
Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on April 4 warned that 27 million Covid-19 vaccines procured by the national government and the private sector are set to expire in July. (Chito A. Chavez)