PBBM stresses importance of getting booster shots amid presence of highly infectious Omicron variants
(Eagle News) – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos both got their second booster doses on Wednesday, August 17, in a government campaign to convince the public to avail of booster doses as additional protection against Covid-19.
At the PinasLakas Vaccination Campaign in Manila, President Marcos Jr., urged Filipinos to also get booster shots to protect themselves against the highly infectious Omicron variant and its subvariants.
The President noted that just having the two primary doses is no longer enough with the presence of the more infectious variants of the COVID-19 virus.
“Iyong unang vaccination, dalawa lang na iniksyon okay na tayo. Noon ‘yun 2020 hanggang 2021. So ang tawag doon ‘fully immunized’ ka na kung dalawa ang bakuna mo. Whatever it was: Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca. Kung anuman ang ibinigay sa inyo, you are considered fully vaccinated,” he said.
“Ang naging problema ay nagkaroon tayo ng tinatawag na Omicron variant. At ‘yung Omicron, I’m sure narinig niyo naman lahat ito, ang Omicron nagkaroon ng sariling variant. Kaya’t ang sinasabi ngayon sa atin ng ating mga dalubhasa, ang ating mga eksperto, mga researcher, ay sinasabi dahil bago itong variant na ito para maging fully immunized ulit ay kailangan magkaroon ng booster shot,” he explained.
This is why, he said, he is actively campaigning for all Filipinos to have their booster shots too.
This could spell the difference for the economy amid the still continuing pandemic, he noted.
Marcos Jr., his administration does not want another Covid-19 lockdown. He wants the economy to continue opening so more businesses would survive and thrive.
“Kaya’t ito ngayon ang kinakampanya namin na sana eh lalong-lalo na na dahan-dahang pabukas ang ekonomiya. Ayaw natin mag-lockdown. Gusto talaga natin matanggal na ‘yung mask na protocol. Lahat ‘yan hindi natin maiaabot ‘yan kung hindi tayo magpa-booster shot ngayon,” he said.
-More Filipinos getting booster shots essential for further opening of economy-
“With us trying to open the economy, us trying to open the schools, trying to bring everything back to a normal situation. Sa dami ng hinaharap nating problema, to bring it back to a normal situation and the importance that this booster will play in bringing us back to that condition,” he noted.
The President had earlier stressed how the school opening this August and the return of face-to-face classes would further boost the economy. More jobs would be created and revived and the transport sector would also get a boost.
It is thus very essential that Filipinos are not only vaccinated but also boosted. Getting booster doses would mean one is fully immunized against Covid-19, he said.
-Booster doses encouraged amid return of face-to-face classes-
“We have many elements that are going to be important, the back to school, the certain parts of the economy, lahat ‘yan, ay aming talagang tinitingnan para makabalik sa trabaho, para makabalik sa eskwelahan. At para maging ligtas tayo, para maging safe tayo ay kailangan talaga we have to encourage everyone to have a booster shot para masasabi natin fully immunized,” Marcos Jr said.
The 64-year old chief executive had Covid-19 twice: the first was during the first year of the pandemic in 2020, and more recently last July shortly after his inauguration as the 17th Philippine president.
He said that the effectivity of vaccines and boosters to protect one from getting serious Covid infection has been proven.
“Maliwanag naman na ‘yung mga pag-aaral tungkol dito sa vaccine, maliwanag na maliwanag naman kapag vaccinated ang isang tao, kahit magkaroon — ma-expose siya o ma-positive siya ay ‘yung tama sa kanya ay hindi ‘yung hindi na kailangan dalhin sa ospital, karamihan hindi na kailangan dalhin sa ospital, ‘yung karamihan ay asymptomatic pa nga eh,” he said.
“At ‘yung mga namamatay, maliwanag na mayroon talagang ‘yung tinatawag na nga na comorbidity. So that is why it is very important and it’s very clear the benefits of having a booster shot now to combat the problem with the new variants of Omicron,” Marcos stressed.
The President was with his eldest son. Rep. Sandro Marcos on Wednesday, August 17, at the PinasLakas vaccination campaign event.
After his speech, he and his son, both had their second booster shots. The event was televised and media was also there to cover the event. Manila mayor Honey Lacuna, who is a doctor, administered the booster shot of the younger Marcos.
Marcos said he asked his son to join him to encourage “younger people” to get their booster doses too.
“And I asked my son to join me dahil naman para makita that even younger people who are still going to… But I asked him to join me to demonstrate how important it is to us that everybody get their booster. Sapat naman ang supply natin ng mga doses. Kung ‘yung… Mayroon pa rin tayong parating at tinitingnan nga natin ‘yung ating bagong vaccine na baka sakali ay ito ‘yung pinaka-effective kontra dito sa ating mga bagong variant na hinaharap,” he said.
“So that really is the reason why I have come here today to highlight the importance of having the booster shot. And when we were talking about it, I realized na umabot na ako sa apat na buwan so puwede na ako mag-booster talaga. So that is why to show everyone it is safe, it is effective, and it is needed,” he added.
(Eagle News Service)