Senator says No booster, no entry policy should not be mandatory

Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, Committee on Health chairperson. (PNA photo by Che Palicte)

SAN ISIDRO, Davao Oriental –The “no booster, no policy” should not be imposed as mandatory, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go said Wednesday even as he called for the strengthening of the vaccination drive in the country.

“It is so hard to push for it and make it mandatory. We have the right [not to get it or to have it]. Instead, we should intensify the vaccination drive,” Go said in an interview.

In April this year, Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion sought the presentation of booster cards as a requirement in entering enclosed establishments starting this month.

Concepcion said this would encourage more people to get their booster shots against the coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19).

Go, the Senate Committee on Health chair, said other equally-effective measures can be implemented, such as the delivery of vaccines to more far-flung areas.

“Let me remind our fellow Filipinos that the vaccines are available. Only 150 million doses were utilized, and we have a total of 245 million doses,” he said.

Go also expressed concern that only 20 percent of fully vaccinated individuals got their booster shots.

“Let's not be complacent, Covid-19 is still here. Every time we shift to Alert Level 1 we became complacent. Let us not wait for the cases to rise again,” he said.

Meanwhile, the senator said President Rodrigo Duterte is urging Filipinos to continue to wear their face masks until he ends his term on June 30.

“Beyond June 30, I don’t know what would be the decision of the next administration, but I know they will do everything for the interest of the Filipinos,” he said.

Go is in this town to distribute various types of assistance to low-income residents. (PNA)

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