President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the commencement of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, which was led by the Department of Health.
In his speech, Marcos appealed to the public to get vaccinated for their protection.
"Let this occasion serve as a call to every Filipino to continue doing your part [and] get updated on your COVID-19 vaccination to prevent a resurgence, as a means of honoring those who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic," he said.
According to Marcos, although COVID-19 cases have decreased and the severity of illnesses has lessened, vigilance should still be maintained as the threat of infection persists.
Due to the emergence of new variants, he emphasized the need to find ways to safeguard the public, particularly vulnerable groups such as senior citizens.
"I thus appeal to everyone, especially those who have yet to receive their primary series of vaccinations, to get vaccinated against COVID-19," the president added.
"This is not for your own good alone but also for the protection of your families and the general public. Government-assisted vaccines, including the bivalent doses, are free for every Filipino," Marcos said.
For the ceremonial vaccination, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa was among those who received the bivalent vaccine.
Initially, the President was supposed to participate in the inoculation but it was not pursued due to his busy schedule until the end of the month. It was suggested that he might experience side effects, which could lead to the cancellation of his upcoming activities.
Earlier this month, the Philippines received a donation of over 390,000 bivalent vaccine doses from Lithuania, which will remain valid until November.
According to the latest data from the DOH, more than 79.1 million individuals have completed their COVID-19 vaccination, but only 24.1 million people have received booster shots.
