Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 13) — A health advocate on Thursday said young adults are encouraged to receive the second COVID-19 booster vaccine amid threats of other illnesses that make them vulnerable to the coronavirus.
“Lifestyle diseases are killing the younger population so it’s a reason that the second booster should be given to all and be accessible or even mandatory,” Dr. Tony Leachon told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the top three leading causes of death in the country remain to be non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly, ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and neoplasms.
These NCDs are lifestyle-related diseases as they are mostly the result of unhealthy habits, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Leachon explained that these lifestyle-related diseases are “very common” among the young adult population, claiming that “the new 50 is around 30s or even younger.”
“We want to protect the young population. The young population are getting sicker lang. Hindi lang sila healthy adults [They’re not healthy adults.] I think that’s one thing we need to consider,” he said.
Pending the release of guidelines, the DOH has announced that adults 18 years old and above may soon receive their second booster shot.
Prior to this, only the vulnerable population, which includes health workers, senior citizens, and people with comorbidities, were allowed to get an additional booster.
Leachon said this could have been done earlier before over 50 million doses of COVID-19 shots expired.
As the COVID-19 positivity rate increases to around 7% due to increased mobility, it is important to also protect the general population since most of them are working individuals, he added.
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante also said in a public briefing on Thursday that getting the second booster is recommended, especially for those who got their first shot six to eight months ago since their immunity has already waned.
Leachon said he believes the DOH will ensure that unexpired vaccines will be used for the administration of second booster shots.
Given the limited time these stocks have, the expert urged the government to deploy vaccination sites in universities, workplaces, and pharmacies to be able to reach more eligible individuals.
Latest DOH data showed that more than 78 million individuals have received their primary COVID-19 vaccine, and 23 million have received their booster shots.
