The Philippines will begin the administration of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable groups next week, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday.
Expected to be attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the vaccination ceremony will take place at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on June 21.
The DOH will use the more than 390,000 doses of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines donated by Lithuania that arrived in the country on June 3.
Bivalent vaccines offer protection against the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 as well as Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, the DOH said.
Based on DOH guidelines, an individual may be vaccinated with the bivalent vaccines after at least four to six months after their second booster vaccination.
Healthcare workers and senior citizens will be given priority to receive the bivalent vaccines.
“Despite the decreasing trend of the COVID-19 positivity rate of 11.6% in the National Capital Region (NCR) as of June 10, we still encourage all eligible individuals to get vaccinated as the threat of infection still continues,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a statement.
”People should not be complacent, especially the senior citizens who are high-risk individuals and [individuals] taking care of those with COVID-19. Vaccines are proven to be safe, effective, and free. I am encouraging all eligible [people] to get boosted at the vaccination sites nearest to [them]. In the fight against COVID-19, no one should be left behind.”
