Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24) — Malacañang on Monday clarified that a circulating video clip of President Rodrigo Duterte discouraging the public from getting their COVID-19 booster shots was an old one recorded at a time when the priority was to increase the number of fully vaccinate Filipinos.
“At that point, 21 million of our countrymen were fully vaccinated, and our priority was to increase this number, which is why the provision of booster shots had yet to be approved,” acting presidential spokesperson Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement.
The video clip that resurfaced was from Duterte’s weekly public address on Sept. 30 last year, in which he told the public not to get more than two vaccine doses as it could pose health risks and also deprive others who have yet to receive their first dose.
“The situation today is now vastly different. Last November, upon the recommendation of our health experts, the government approved the use of booster doses for all fully vaccinated individuals as we had ample supplies of vaccines and a substantial percentage of our population was already fully vaccinated,” Nograles added.
“To further encourage the public to get their booster shots, the President in his December 21, 2021 address enjoined the public to ‘take advantage’ of the country’s sufficient supply of vaccines against COVID-19 and get their booster shots to control the spread of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.”
The government earlier allowed fully vaccinated adults to get their booster shot three months after their second dose.
Pharmacies and private clinics were also tapped to assist the government in providing booster shots to the public.
