DOCTOR Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health (DOH)-Technical Advisory Group urged the public on Monday, March 21, 2022, to get booster shots to prevent another surge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the country.While admitting that another Covid-19 wave cannot be avoided, Salvana said vaccines are important to prevent deaths and severe or critical cases.”Ang Covid naman surprises ang pinakita sa ‘tin. Important na gamitin pa rin natin ‘yung mga tools na alam nating gumagana para masugpo ang Covid-19. Lalong-lalo na sa di pa nagpapa-boost at three months na (after), you’re above 18 years old magpa-boost na po tayo,” he said in a Laging Handa press briefing.(Covid-19 has surprised us several times. It’s important to still use the effective tools to beat Covid-19, especially for those who have not yet been boosted. If you got your Covid-19 vaccine primary series three months ago, and if you’re above 18 years old, get your booster shots.)”We have tools which we have turned Covid almost an endemic virus. Kung mapapagpatuloy pa natin to, wala na pong bagong variant na lumabas, tuloy-tuloy na po yan (If this continues and no other variant comes out, it will continue) towards endemicity,” he added.Out of the over 64 million individuals who have completed the primary series of the Covid-19 vaccination, only about 11.3 million have received booster doses.The National Government aims to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos by the end of June 2022, provide booster shots to 72.16 million adults, vaccinate 12.7 million adolescents ages 12 to 17, and administer Covid-19 jabs to 12.56 million children ages five to 11.The National Task Force Against Covid-19 said out of the 17 regions in the country, 15 have vaccinated 60 to 70 percent of their population.The Philippines has received over P230 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine doses, sufficient to vaccinate all the targeted population.Salvana said with the number of vaccines the country currently has, herd immunity, which means that people will no longer get infected by the virus, is not yet achievable.“At kahit i-vaccinate mo pa lahat ng tao, hindi ka makakaabot doon sa tinatawag na sterilized immunity, na kahit may case, hindi na siya makakakalat. Meron pa rin siyang breakthrough,” he said.The Philippines, according to Octa Research group, has already deescalated to very low risk classification for Covid-19. (SunStar Philippines)