SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian urged local government units and schools to prepare for the rollout of Covid19 booster shots for minors aged 12 to 17.

Gatchalian made the call following the Department of Health’s approval of using the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid19 vaccine as a booster dose for the age group.

“Ngayong makakatanggap na ng mga booster shots ang ating mga menor de edad o ‘yung mga nasa edad na 12 hanggang 17, dapat nang maghanda ang mga lokal na pamahalaan at mga paaralan upang maging maayos ang ating sistema ng pagbabakuna,” said Gatchalian.

The senator said that booster shots will provide minors an added layer of protection as the Department of Education is bent on resuming face-to-face classes in August.

“Mahalagang gawin natin ang lahat ng hakbang upang matiyak natin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral sa kanilang pagbabalik sa face-to-face classes,” the lawmaker added.

Gatchalian also emphasized the need to protect minors amid a steady increase of new Covid19 cases nationwide.

He reiterated the need for schools to proactively participate in the Covid19 vaccination program.