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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bong Go renews call for Pinoys to get vaccinated, boosted as PH detects Omicron BQ.1 variant

Bong Go renews call for Pinoys to get vaccinated, boosted as PH detects Omicron BQ.1 variant

Published Nov 28, 2022 12:00 pm

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has renewed his appeal for Filipinos to get vaccinated and boosted as well as the governmen continues its vigilance against the threat of COVID-19.

Go made the call as health authorities detected the “highly transmissible and immune-evasive COVID-10 Omicron BQ.1 sublineage in the country. The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed 14 new cases of BQ.1.

“Huwag ho tayong maging kumpiyansa. Habang nandiriyan po ang COVID (dahil) nagmu-mutate po ito (Let's not be confident. While there is COVID (because) it is mutating,” Go said in a recent interview.

“Hindi naman natin alam kung gaano kalakas ito, deadly ba itong (bagong variant). Ngunit habang nandiriyan si COVID, delikado. Huwag maging kumpiyansa (We don't know how strong it is, is it (new variant) deadly. But while COVID is around, it's dangerous. Don't be confident),” he added.”

There are now 13 cases that were discovered in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, and Central Visayas. The DOH said these cases amounted to 0.03% of the total number of Omicron subvariants in the country.

The August COVID-19 wave that hit the country may have been caused by BQ.1, a sublineage of BA.5 that branches off from Omicron, according to the Philippine Genome Center.

According to health experts, the other Omicron subvariants, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are said to be more contagious and immune-evasive.

At this, Go said Filipinos who remain unvaccinated should get innoculated and boost their immunity as soon as possible, as research shows that vaccinated people experience fewer severe symptoms from the virus.

“Paigtingin po natin ang ating pagpapabakuna. Ang bakuna po ang tanging susi o solusyon para unti-unti na tayong makabalik sa ating normal na pamumuhay. ‘Pag qualified na ho kayo sa booster, magpabooster na po tayo kaysa naman po masayang itong mga bakuna at nae-expire po (Let's intensify our vaccination. The vaccine is the only key or solution so that we can gradually return to our normal lifestyle. When you are qualified for the booster, we will get a booster instead of these vaccines going to waste and expiring),”

“Gamitin po ito, suyurin po ang mga hindi pa bakunado (Please use it, please check those who have not been vaccinated),” he stressed.

He said Filipinos should not be content with merely receiving initial vaccination shots because an additional booster dose, once they were eligible for it, would provide them with an additional layer of protection against COVID-19.

“Ang baba po ng ating booster vaccination rate, sa ngayon — 26% lang po sa 1st dose. Ang dami pang hindi nagpapabakuna. Huwag ho kayong maging kumpiyansa, nakikiusap po kami. Huwag ho tayong maging kumpiyansa (Our booster vaccination rate is low, so far — only 26 percent for the 1st dose. There are still many who do not vaccinate. Don't be too confident, we beg you. Let's not be confident),” said Go.

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