President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday received his second booster dose as he rallied public support for the government's COVID-19 booster rollout, stressing its importance in opening up the economy and preventing crippling lockdowns.

He was joined by his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos.

Speaking during the launch of the PinasLakas Vaccination Campaign at SM City Manila, Marcos highlighted the importance of getting people boosted against COVID-19, noting the threats posed by the virus as immunity wanes and as more contagious variants emerge.

"I have come here today to highlight the importance of having the booster shot, to show everyone it is safe, it is effective, and it is needed," said Marcos, who attended a similar launching of the immunization drive in Pasig City two weeks ago.

He reiterated the importance of having people boosted as one of the major steps in addressing various problems confronting the nation and to hasten economic recovery.

"With us trying to open the economy, trying to open the schools, trying to bring everything back to a normal situation, sa dami ng hinaharap nating problema, to bring back a normal situation, the booster will play an important (role) in bringing us back to that condition," added Marcos.

As of August 16, those who received complete dose of COVID-19 vaccines reached 72.18 million but those who got booster shots were only 17.15 million

In a bid to combat new COVID-19 variants, Marcos said the government would look into newly-developed vaccines for their possible use.

“I was just told by (Health) Usec. (Maria Rosario) Vergeire, mukha namang mayroon nang ilalabas na vaccine para dito sa mga bagong variant ng Omicron. Kaya’t pag-aaralan natin and if it is going to be helpful ay gagawin natin ang lahat para madala rito sa Pilipinas para mabigay natin sa lahat ng kailangan magkaroon ng booster shot,” he said.

He also thanked health workers for their sacrifices in the country's fight against COVID-19.

Marcos also cited the role of local government units (LGUs) in implementing the vaccination drive.

More than 18,900 PinasLakas vaccination sites have been launched nationwide, which include areas such as markets, schools, workplaces, terminals, places of worship, and mobile vaccination sites. Presidential News Desk