Filipinos urged to get vaccinated as PH logs 4th Omicron case

MANILA – A health official on Monday night reiterated the need for the Filipinos to avail themselves of the Covid-19 vaccination program now that a fourth case of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) coronavirus variant has been detected in the country.

Welcoming the arrival of Air Hong Kong Flight LD 456 carrying some 1,187,550 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 medical consultant, Dr. Ma. Paz Corrales, emphasized that “vaccination is an added protection for all the Filipinos.”

“As you all know, we already have four cases of Omicron variant now, we should urge more to get vaccinated in preparation for its possible spread in the country,” Corrales said.

Citing that the highly transmissible Omicron variant is now spreading in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, Corrales encouraged those who have yet to receive their primary doses and those who are now qualified for booster doses to get their respective Covid-19 shots.

The newly delivered shipment is part of the government-procured Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines through the funding of the Asian Development Bank.

“We were able to jab [over] 47 million Filipinos already despite the onslaught of the recent typhoon. We are all trying our best, especially in the typhoon-stricken areas to vaccinate as many Filipinos as we can,” Corrales said.