Villanueva: Broaden access and eligibility for vaccine and booster shots
Senator Joel Villanueva today, July 20 said he agrees with the national government’s recommendation to broaden access and eligibility for vaccine and booster shots.
Comparing the vaccination rates in other Southeast Asian countries, Villanueva said that the Department of Health (DOH) still needs to intensify its information campaign so that more Filipinos would better understand the benefits and importance of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Citing the latest information from the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Villanueva said 65.3 percent of the Philippine population has received the complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
‘’This is low compared to the vaccination rates of other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries such as Vietnam (82.38 percent), Thailand (75.98 percent), and Cambodia (86.13 percent),’’ he pointed out.
‘’In addition, around 33 percent of our priority groups have received booster shots as of June 30, according to the DOH: healthcare workers (1.5 million out of three million with complete dose), senior citizens (2.3 million out of 6.8 million with complete dose), and persons with comorbidities (2.5 million out of 9.4 million with complete dose),’’ he said.