THE National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 has warned against “vaccine hoppers,” or those who register for vaccination in different cities in order to get more than two vaccine doses.
NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said vaccine hopping is “illegal and immoral” as this means someone else is being denied the vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Lahat ng bakuna ay itinuturing nating ginto at hindi ito basta-bastang sinasayang dahil ang gusto natin ay lahat ng Pilipino ay mabakunahan,” he said in a statement.
“Napakahirap na ‘yung mga kababayan nating nasa far-flung areas at mga nasa GIDAs (geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas) ay hindi pa nagkakakroon ng first dose tapos sila [vaccine hoppers] may third dose or boosters na. Unahin muna natin ‘yung mga areas at mga tao na wala pang first dose,” he added.
In Quezon City, two people were charged for getting their third dose. Both had been fully vaccinated with Sinovac from other local government units, but they received a Moderna and Pfizer shot, respectively.
The QC Government said one of them even had the guts to boast about it on social media, but the post has already been deleted.
QC Counsel Orlando Paolo Casimiro said charges for violation of City Ordinance No. SP-3032, series of 2021, titled “An Ordinance Prohibiting Covid-19 Vaccine Fraud,” which Mayor Joy Belmonte approved on July 29, 2021, were filed against the two individuals before the QC Prosecutor’s Office.
He said the two violated Section 3 of the ordinance, which states that “a fully vaccinated person pretending to be unvaccinated for purposes of receiving additional unwarranted inoculations” will be fined P5,000 and detained for one month to six months.
“This is to send a strong message that the City Government takes the vaccination and other pandemic-related programs very seriously,” Casimiro said in a statement.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos had called on mayors in the National Capital Region to come up with similar ordinances that will impose sanctions on persons who are getting additional shots.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar expressed support for the passage of such ordinances and appealed to the public to think of the welfare of others who have not yet received even their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
“Huwag tayong maging gahaman sa bakuna. Marami pa sa atin ang hindi nababakunahan, maski first dose, dahil na din sa limitadong suplay na nakararating sa bansa,” said Eleazar.
The Department of Science and Technology is still conducting tests on the safety and efficacy of combining Covid-19 vaccine brands. The efficacy of booster shots is also not yet proven.
As of August 12, 12,182,006 or 17.19 percent of the country’s eligible population have been fully vaccinated.
Since February, the Philippines has received 42,106,150 Covid-19 vaccines from various manufacturers. (SunStar Philippines)