MANILA—The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said there was no need to mandate COVID-19 booster shots for now, adding there were other ways to campaign for the country's vaccination drive.

This came after Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion suggested that COVID-19 booster cards be made mandatory at establishments in areas under the loosest Alert Level 1 or in areas where administering the primary series had finished.

• COVID-19 vaccine cards required in closed, crowded establishments: DILG

Metro Manila and 38 other areas this week deescalated to the lowest of a 5-tier COVID-19 alert system, also considered as the shift to the "new normal," to revive the pandemic-battered economy.

"Naiintindihan natin kung saan . . . Ang perspektibo [ni Concepcion] gusto niya ng full protection pero sa ngayon, ang ating gagawin ay magbibigay tayo ng information at pakikiusapan ang business sector," Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a televised briefing.

"Ang gagawin natin ay i-strengthen natin ang advocacy . . . [Ang government agencies] at partners natin sa private sectors ay pag-iibayuhin ’yung communication and advocacy to increase the uptake of booster."

Cabotaje earlier said that the country's National Vaccination Days this month would focus on residential houses and workplaces, which proved successful in some areas in the country.

The official acknowledged, though, that vaccination still remained slow in the past week.

The Philippines aims to fully vaccinate 90 million of its population against COVID-19.

As of this week, the government has been able to fully immunize at least 63 million people or 70 percent of the target. More than 10.1 million people, meanwhile, have already received their booster shots.

Video from PTV