The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded workers on Tuesday to shun unauthorized Covid-19 “booster shots” amid the country’s limited vaccine supply.
DOLE issued the reminder as it starts administering 400,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to priority labor sectors on Wednesday.
“…Let us give others, who are still unvaccinated, the chance [to be inoculated],” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said at a virtual news briefing last Monday.
DOLE earlier said many workers in the construction and manufacturing sector in some regions are still unvaccinated.
It was able to secure 452,000 Covid-19 doses from the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF), which it will be administering to the said workers starting September 8 2021.
Bello said the first batch of 2,000 beneficiaries would be inoculated at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.
“They are the movers of the economy. If there are no workers, there will be no business and economy so they must be cared for,” Bello said.
Bello said they would consider requesting for additional doses from the NTF once they administer all of their allocated jabs.
As of September 6, 2021, the government was only able to register only 15.2 million people who are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Another 20.9 million are still waiting for their second Covid-19 jab to get full Covid-19 protection.
The government is targeting to inoculate 50 million to 70 million people before the end of the year.