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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOH eyeing to provide COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for health workers, immunocompromised in 2022

DOH eyeing to provide COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for health workers, immunocompromised in 2022

Published Aug 19, 2021 12:11 pm

A nurse prepares a syringe of the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre, in Garlan, western France, on May 31, 2021. Fred TANNEAU / AFP

The government is mulling over the idea of providing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine booster doses to healthcare workers and immunocompromised individuals by next year, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Currently, the country’s vaccine experts are studying if booster shots are needed for vaccinated individuals. At this point, it is not yet recommended, said DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje on Thursday, Aug. 19.

“As of now, hindi pa rin nirecommend yung ating booster dose. But for 2022, we may consider booster. (As of now, booster dose is still not recommended. But for 2022, we may consider administering booster shots),” said Cabotaje in an online forum.

“We are really studying the events. The experts may be considering booster for specific population. Yung mga immunocompromised, yung ating mga health workers (The immunocompromised and health workers),” she added.

Cabotaje explained that healthcare workers are the most vulnerable for COVID-19.

“Yung ating mga health workers--- kasi sila ang palaging nai-expose (Our health workers are the ones who are always exposed)...The healthcare workers are the most at risk,” she said.

For immunocompromised individuals, such as those with cancer and HIV/AIDS, Cabotaje said that it’s hard for them to develop immunity for a certain disease.

“Yung immunocompromised, hindi kasi nakaka mount ng adequate antibody (The people who are immunocompromised can't mount adequate antibody),” she said.

Cabotaje said that the local vaccine experts are still deliberating on certain issues with regards to booster doses.

“How should we define booster shots? Are they third doses of the same vaccine? Should we boost everybody? Will it be another vaccine boosted by another vaccine? These are currently being studied,” said the DOH official.

“In the next month or two, the all experts group will now be able to give us a more final recommendation based on their study of what is happening across all countries,” she said.

Related Tags

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots immunocompromised Department of Health (DOH) Healthcare workers
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