President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that the government would launch a massive booster shot campaign as the country gears up for the resumption of face-to-face classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his latest vlog, Marcos said the departments of Health (DOH), the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Education (DepEd) will lead the said campaign.
"Sa tulong ng DOH, ng DILG, ng DepEd, isusulong ang malawakang kampanya muli para sa pagbabakuna sa booster shot (With the help of the DOH, DILG, and the DepEd, we will launch a large-scale vaccination and booster campaign)," he said.
"Preparasyon na rin ito sa pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes at pagluwag ng iba pang mga safety protocols (This is in preparation for the resumption of face-to-face classes and easing of other safety protocols)," he added.
"Kung magiging matagumpay ang kampanyang ito, tuloy na tuloy na ‘yan (Things will go according to plan if this campaign will be successful)," he continued.
Marcos, however, did not disclose when the campaign for booster shots would start, but Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte had said that she was eyeing the full resumption of in-person classes by November this year.
Meanwhile, President Marcos testified about the effectiveness of booster shots, especially since he had just recovered from Covid-19.
"Kung hindi dahil sa vaccine at booster shot, ay siguradong mas malubha ang naging tama ko at ang aking pakiramdam (If not for the vaccine and the booster shot, my condition could have been worse)," he said.
"Yung aking naging sintomas ay kaunting lagnat, kaunting pangangati ng lalamunan. Pero hindi na talaga siya bumaba sa aking baga at naging komplikado (My symptoms were a slight fever and itchiness in the throat. But it didn't go to my lungs and didn't complicate my condition)," he added.
Marcos tested positive for Covid-19 on July 8, one week after he took his oath as the country's 17th President.
Despite this, the President said there was no need for the country to have a law requiring Filipinos to get their booster shots.
"Hindi naman talaga kailangan isabatas pa ito, dahil malaya pa rin tayong mamili para sa ating sariling kalusugan (We don't really need a law for this because we are free to decide for health)," Marcos said.
"Pero habang tumatagal, ay mas lumilinaw ang sinasabi ng siyensya, ang mga datos at ang mga pag-aaral na ang pagbabakuna ay malaki ang naitutulong para sa ating kaligtasan mula sa Covid-19 (But sa time passed, science, the data, and studies made it clear that boosters help in protecting us from the virus)," he added.