The national government will start giving out COVID-19 booster shots to the public through pharmacies and private clinics starting Thursday, January 20, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.
In his presentation during a televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Galvez noted that the vaccine booster rollout via pilot pharmacies will begin in the National Capital Region (NCR) and will subsequently expand to other regions. No specific date is indicated.
Only booster shots may be administered via pharmacies and private clinics.
Based on Galvez’s presentation, boosters will be rolled out in the following pilot locations:
- Mercury Drug in Quirino Avenue, Manila City
- Southstar Drug in SSD, Marikina City
- Watsons in SM Supercenter Pasig
- Generika Drugstore Signal 1 in Taguig City
- The Generics Pharmacy in Sun Valley, Parañaque City
- Qualimed Clinic in McKinley Road, Makati City
- Healthway in Manila City
Individuals 18 years old and above from the following groups are eligible to get their boosters at pharmacies:
- Priority Group A1: Workers in essential health services, if without comorbidities
- Priority Group Expanded A1: Overseas Filipino Workers, and family members of A1, if without comorbidities
- Priority Group A4: Workers in essential services
- Priority Group A5: Poor population
- Rest of the adult population
"This is our way forward to hand over the responsibility of the vaccination from the national government-centered to its complete devolution to the LGUs and the private sector in preparation for the future commercialization of the vaccine," Galvez said.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said the booster shots will be free of charge since they are still part of the government's COVID-19 inoculation drive.
He added that private facilities will be given 500 vaccine doses per week, noting that local government units will oversee the registration and documentation process.
