Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 17) — Family members of healthcare workers cannot avail yet of the booster shots offered by the government, a health official said on Wednesday.
Although family members of healthcare workers belong to the expanded A1 priority sector, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are not included in the amended emergency use authorization.
“Ang binigyan pa lang ng EUA ng FDA is for us to deploy or provide boosters to senior citizens, healthcare workers, and to individuals with comorbidities. So ‘yun pong expanded A1 for family members, hindi po muna natin sila bibigyan,” she said in a media briefing.
[Translation: The Emergency Use Authorization of the Food and Drug Administration only allows us to deploy or provide boosters to senior citizens, healthcare workers, and to individuals with comorbidities, so their family members cannot receive them yet.]
The government started giving booster doses to 1.6 million fully vaccinated health workers on Wednesday to boost their waning immunity.
