DOH urges boosters amid Omicron BA.2.12 detection

The Department of Health (DOH) urged Filipinos to get their booster shots amid the detection of the country's first case of Omicron BA.2.12.

The subvariant was detected in a 52-year-old Finnish woman who tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing mild symptoms nine days upon arrival.

While the World Health Organization has not classified BA.2.12 as a variant of interest or concern, initial studies suggest it may be 20% more transmissible than BA.2, which is currently dominant in the Philippines.

The DOH emphasized that immunity from primary vaccine series wanes over time and encouraged eligible individuals to get their booster shots immediately.