Former Defense Secretary and senatorial candidate Gilbert (GIBO) Teodoro urges Filipinos to get their booster shots against COVID-19 as this is crucial to continue the full reopening of the economy.

Gibo Teodoro, a former Tarlac congressman, said with the increased mobility and relaxed restrictions under Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila and other key cities and provinces, COVID-19 and its variants can be contracted easily.

“Our medical experts say that we need booster shots to get extra protection against COVID-19 as the efficacy of primary shots wane between four to six months after getting the initial doses,” Gibo Teodoro said. “We need to have that constant protection in order for us to stay under the new normal and not get back to stricter alert level system.”

Gibo Teodoro was concerned on the latest number from the National Vaccination Operations Center that only a third of 36.7 million Filipinos due for booster shots have received their jabs.

“We should not lose the momentum of vaccination and the full reopening of the economy. We can only get protection from COVID-19 through vaccination,” Gibo Teodoro said.