[필리핀]

 If vaccines have an expiration date, then vaccine cards should, too. This was the consensus among medical and data experts as they supported calls to hasten booster vaccinations across the country, citing waning immunity and the possibility of new variants of the SARS-CoV2 virus, PhilStar reported.

They expressed their opinions during the “PCP Health Forum: Isa, Dalawa, Tatlo, Sa Bakuna ay Sigurado” organized by the Philippine College of Physicians.“We need to have updated immunization cards,” said Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians. “The tendency is for Filipinos to forget, and I think this [booster campaign] could be a good start, even for the other diseases,” pointing out that boosters are needed even for other common diseases. Boosters, she said, prevent the severe disease that leads to hospitalization and death.

“We know how important vaccines are in building the wall of immunity and moving on from the pandemic,” said Dr. Rontgene Solante, member of the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Technical Working Group for COVID-19 Vaccine as he presented data showing that the more infectious Omicron variant is now dominant; that the risk of severe disease in the elderly and the very young.