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'Booster' shots won't be acceptable anytime soon, says science-savvy consumer group head
'Booster' shots won't be acceptable anytime soon, says science-savvy consumer group head
Despite the emergence of scary mutations or variants, the head of a pro-science consumer advocacy group says it would take a while before so-called "booster" shots against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) become acceptable in the Philippines.
According to Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya Para sa Mamamayan (AGHAM) President Angelo Palmones, there are still much to learn about the long-term effects of all the COVID-19 vaccines being used around the world.
"Booster shots for vaccination against COVID variants in the Philippines is still a way to go. First, all vaccines against COVID-19 are still on clinical trial. The clinical trials must be completed first and further studies must be made before we push for booster shots," he said.
Although the Philippines has seven anti-COVID vaccine brands in its portfolio (Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm), it is only through their acquisition of an emergency use authorization (EUA) that they are being used on Filipinos in the first place.
An EUA facilitates the availability and use of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, during public health emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Palmones, a former congressman, also reckoned that every Filipino must first complete their basic dosage against COVID-19 before extra shots or boosters could be entertained.
"We have budgetary constraints for the 100 percent vaccination, including the minors," he noted.
Complete inoculation against the dreaded respiratory disease entails one or two shots, depending on the vaccine brand.
However, some enterprising Filipinos have found a way to get extra dosages of COVID-19 vaccines amid the tight supply for the drug, which is administered for free.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos has said that booster shots are illegal. Abalos reminded the public that all available vaccines were either procured by the government or donated by other countries to the Philippines.
Asked if he thinks booster shots would only become realistic once the COVID-19 jabs get commercialized, Palmones said, "Yes."
In the meantime, the AGHAM president called for a "serious implementation of quarantine restrictions and adherence to the necessary health protocols" as a way to combat COVID-19 and its variants, including the more transmissible Delta variant. He said this includes the wearing of face mask, physical distancing, and basic sanitation.
"It’s only in the Philippines where you can see joggers, kids playing on the streets, and ambulant vendors trading their commerce during lockdowns," Palmones said.
The National Capital Region (NCR), which has the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases in the country, is currently under an enhanced community quarantine or ECQ.