SEVERAL business groups asked the government to allow the private sector to use its Covid-19 vaccines as booster shots for employees and their families.
In a statement on Tuesday, the private sector groups said that boosters are a must in order to avoid another strict lockdown measure as vaccine efficacy wanes after six months.
“We fully understand the need to prioritize certain sectors when vaccines are scarce, but the government has announced that its stockpile of vaccines has now reached close to 60 million and continues to increase as the vaccines are arriving faster than they can be dispensed,” the statement read.
“We no longer have a shortage, and with such a large stockpile, we risk having vaccines expire and go to waste,” it added.
The private sector groups said they have helped the government in purchasing and administering Covid-19 vaccines “as many
as possible as soon as possible” even during the scarcity of supply.
Now that there is an oversupply of vaccines, the business groups said they hope that their stock will be used to take care of their employees and dependents.
The signatories include ACI Philippines, Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice, Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Cebu Business Club, Cebu Leads Foundation, Chamber of Thrift Banks, Cibi Foundation Inc., European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc.
In addition, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce of Philippines Inc., Investment House Association of the Philippines, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Money Market Association of the Philippines, Makati Business Club and Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. signed the joint statement.
Other parties joining the call are Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines, Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, Philippine Life Insurance Association, Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia, Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. and Tax Management Association of the Philippines.