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Nearly half of health workers yet to get second COVID booster - DOH

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Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A health worker receives her second booster shot at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center vaccination site in San Juan City on June 23, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/19/20220623-san-juan-pedia-booster-gc-vu2a5361.jpg"/><figcaption>A health worker receives her second booster shot at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center vaccination site in San Juan City on June 23, 2022.<em> George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Nearly half of the country&#x27;s 1.2 million healthcare workers have yet to receive their second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Department of Health.</p><p>As of Dec. 12, some 603,905 individuals under the A1 population or workers in frontline health services have availed of the second boosters.</p><p>&quot;Out of the 1,196,107 eligible A1 population, 592,202 are currently due for 2nd boosters doses,&quot; the DOH said in a statement over the weekend.</p><p>The Philippines started giving second boosters to high-risk groups such as medical frontliners and older people in May.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/26/22/ph-rolls-out-2nd-booster-jab-to-elderly-health-workers">Philippines rolls out 2nd booster shot to elderly, health workers</a></li></ul><p>Latest DOH figures show the country has provided second boosters to 3,691,412 eligible Filipinos.</p><p>&quot;DOH reiterates that vaccination is not mandatory and that consent must always be asked,&quot; the agency said. &quot;Current evidence only shows that 2nd boosters are only recommended for A1, A2, A3 aged 18 and above.&quot;</p><p>The second COVID-19 booster shot is still not recommended for the general population.</p><p>&quot;When new evidence comes in, we can then assess and recommend 2nd boosters for the general population while going through the proper regulatory process,&quot; the DOH said.</p><p>Since the country began its vaccination drive in March 2021, some 73.7 million people or 94.38 percent have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.</p><p>Of the figure, some 21 million or 26.95 percent have received their first boosters.</p><p>The DOH has since conducted 4 special inoculation drives to have more Filipinos vaccinated.</p><p>As of Dec. 18, the Philippines has 17,900 active COVID-19 cases.</p><p>Early this month, the DOH disclosed that the number of wasted COVID-19 shots in the country has reached 44 million. The bulk of these doses came from local government units and the private sector, it added.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/06/22/ph-loses-p22-billion-from-wasted-covid-19-vaccines">Philippines may have lost P22 billion from wasted COVID-19 vaccines</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B8U4joy2cF0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Nearly half of the country's 1.2 million healthcare workers have yet to receive their second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the DOH.

Nearly half of health workers yet to get second COVID booster - DOH

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Nearly half of health workers yet to get second COVID booster - DOH

Davinci Maru,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 19, 2022 03:35 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 19, 2022 04:17 PM PHT

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