There are ways to prevent wastage of Covid-19 vaccines nearing expiry date, said a health reform advocate on Saturday, June 18.
One of the various ways include the revision of the country’s booster vaccination guidelines, said health reform advocate and former special adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon.
The expert, in a tweet, urged the Department of Health (DOH) to consider changing the country’s vaccination guidelines and align it with the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"It is time to revise our guidelines in the Philippines! Lots of vaccines to expire, co-morbid conditions around, and with lots of sub variants!," said Leachon.
Under CDC’s recommendation, adults aged 50 years and older, as well as children aged 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are eligible to get a second booster jab.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, only health workers, individuals aged 60 years old and above, as well as those who are immunocompromised are so far allowed to get inoculated with a second booster dose.
Around 580,000 individuals in the country have so far received their second booster jab as of June 13, 2022.
Second jab for the general population
Amid the call for revision of the country’s vaccine guidelines, the administration of a second Covid-19 booster jab to the general population is also pushed.
“Maybe we should really consider now with all these uptick . Data have shown that booster doses actually expound immune responses against these variants,” said Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) Chairperson Nina Gloriani in an interview over ANC on Thursday, June 16.
However, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a media forum held on Wednesday, June 15, said that second booster shots will only be given to the general population if it receives an amended emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).