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| Residents are screened and vital signs are checked for their first jab of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine as part of the vaccine rollout program of the local government at the Ramon Magsaysay High School grounds in Manila on Monday, May 17, 2021. (Photo by=Miguel de Guzman/ The Star) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] MANILA — To prevent overcrowding, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reminded local government units (LGUs) that walk-ins should not be allowed at vaccination sites. DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said all prospective vaccine recipients must be pre-registered, as it is only through pre-registration that schedules could be given for their jabs at vaccination sites, PhilStar reported.
She also urged LGUs to make COVID-19 vaccines available even to those who are not from their areas of jurisdiction. “There is the ‘no wrong door’ policy being implemented by the national government. This means you can get vaccines anywhere. Please accommodate them if they are eligible,” she noted. The Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) is opposing recommendations to mix COVID-19 vaccines and give booster shots to vaccinated individuals, citing the “currently insufficient data.”
“We suggest that the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines be completed as recommended using the same product at the prescribed interval,” the group noted. “The need for and timing for COVID-19 booster doses has not been proven. There is currently a paucity of evidence to support recommendations for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for the general population,” it added.
