Learn to live with the Covid-19 virus. Don’t be talkative.

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel gave this advice as there are reports now that even those who get sick from the existing new Covid-19  variants are not even immune from the other variants out there today.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday said his administration would ramp up the administration of an anti-coronavirus booster shot to children since the government plans a 100 percent face-to-face classes this year.

Vice President Sara Duterte was reported intent in  imposing full in-person classes by November.

Senator Pimentel is expected to be the Senate Minority Leader when the 19th Congress begins on July 25. 

‘’Learn to live with the Covid-19 virus (just as we, the human race, are currently living with around 3,000 other viruses out there), and observe basic health and precautionary measures: wear mask, keep distance, be healthy, be clean and hygienic. Don’t be talkative,’’ he said.

Pimentel, however, said there are reports now that  even those who get sick from the existing new Covid-19  variants are not even immune from the other variants out there today.

‘’That means that the supposed to be ‘‘natural immunity’’ from the variants does not work against the other variants out there. Now, these vaccines and boosters were formulated with the non-variant and the ‘’earlier variants’’ of Covid-19 in the mind of the scientists,’’  he said.

‘’How then can we expect these vaccines and boosters to provide ‘’artificial immunity’’ to the new existing variants for which even ‘’natural immunity’’ from actual infection does not even work?,’’ he asked. 

Senator Risa Hontiveros, a member of Pimente’s Senate minority bloc, is against mandatory booster shots  on the general population.

‘'Tulad ng pagtutol ko sa mandatory vaccination di rin po ako sangayon sa mandatory booster (I am against mandatory vaccination and mandatory booster shots).  Ang dapat gawin ipagpatuloy ang public health education  para kumbinsihin ang mga di pa nagpapabakuna na malayang gawin ito alang alang sa kanilang sarili, pamilya at lipunan (What should be done is for the continuation of health education in order to convince those who have not been vaccinated yet that they are free to choose for themselves, their family and society. To those who refuse to be vaccinated, all we can do is pray that they would not be stigmatized or discriminated against based on public health),’’ she said.

Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, on the other hand, urged the government to strengthen further the vaccination campaign to cover as many qualified individuals as possible. 

‘’We have done well the past year in acquiring sufficient vaccine supply but we must amplify these efforts further in order to reach areas with low vaccination rates,’’ he said.

‘’While we have to respect the right of each Filipino to choose whether to get vaccinated or not, we should also provide them all the right information they need to make the right decision for their safety and the safety of their communities — especially now that science shows the need to get inoculated again with booster shots,’’ he added.