MANILA – The government will go after vaccinated people who resort to “vaccine hopping” to get their booster shots.
National Task Force Against Covid-19 head Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. warned on Saturday that vaccine hopping, or getting a shot in another local government unit after acquiring the necessary doses, is both illegal and immoral.
“Lahat ng bakuna ay itinuturing nating ginto at hindi ito basta-basta sinasayang dahil ang gusto natin ay lahat ng Pilipino ay mabakunahan (All vaccines are precious and it should not be wasted because we want to inoculate all Filipinos),” Galvez said in a statement, reacting to reports of fully inoculated individuals getting additional vaccine shots of their preferred brands.
He lamented the fact that residents in remote places or those who live in geographically isolated and impoverished areas have yet to receive their initial doses, despite the fact that some are already attempting to obtain booster shots.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a separate virtual briefing on Friday that booster shots are not yet allowed in the country.
