Malacanang said Thursday it was looking at setting aside P45 billion under the 2022 national budget for COVID-19 booster vaccines should health experts recommend a third shot.
The amount is expected to cover all Filipinos eligible for vaccination, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday.
"In the 2022 budget, we have a budget entry for booster shots for all Filipinos," Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
Both the World Health Organization and the Department of Health do not recommend the use of booster shots so far even as countries such as the United States and Israel have approved its use in light of the spread of the more contagious coronavirus Delta variant.
The Philippines is looking to vaccinate at least 50 million of its people by November this year. So far, the country has fully vaccinated some 12.8 million Filipinos.
The proposed national budget for 2022 is P5.024-trillion, 11.5% higher than this year's P4.506 trillion, and is equivalent to 22.8% of the country's gross domestic product.
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