The Zamboanga City Hall. (PNA file photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Mayor John Dalipe on Friday called on residents to prioritize getting vaccine booster shots to achieve an added layer of protection against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Dalipe issued the call as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) recommended the optional wearing of face masks outdoors and in non-crowded spaces.
However, the IATF-EID said those vulnerable - elderly and immunocompromised - are still highly encouraged to wear face masks.
“Getting vaccinated (with the primary doses) and boosters will ensure protection not only for one’s self but for the family and the community as well,” Dalipe, a nurse by profession, said.
Data released by the City Health Office (CHO) on Friday showed that 204,459 residents of this city have received their first Covid-19 booster dose.
Dalipe noted that the figure represented only 33 percent of the target eligible population of 619,572 to be boosted in the city.
Also, the CHO data showed that only 17,594 of those who received the first booster have submitted themselves for the second booster dose.
The second booster is open only for the immunocompromised, workers in front-line health services, senior citizens, individuals 50 years old and above, and adults 18 to 49 years old with comorbidities.
To encourage residents to get vaccine boosters, the local government has incentivized booster doses through the grant of five kilos of rice for those who avail of the shots. (PNA)
