Experts from the medical and business sectors renewed their call on the government to allow more Filipinos, mainly those aged 50 to 59, to receive a second booster shot as immunity from Covid-19 wanes faster than most diseases.
Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said this amid the rising number of infections in the Philippines.
In a statement, Concepcion said the waning immunity from Covid-19 would affect the country's economic recovery. He added that those falling in the 50 to 59 age range are still productive members of the workforce yet may have comorbidities, making the coronavirus a more dangerous disease for them.
"They are exposed to the virus and are vulnerable, yet they do not have that extra layer of protection despite contributing to our economic recovery," he said.
"This means we really have to increase our first-booster vaccinations and allow more people to get their second boosters, especially our economic frontliners," he added.
According to Vaccine Expert Panel chairperson Dr. Nina Gloriani, Covid-19 is unlike other diseases where immunity lasts years.
"This one lasts months only," she said in an interview last July 1.
The Vaccine Expert Panel is part of a Technical Working Group of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Gloriani is among the medical experts guiding the private sector under the Advisory Council of Experts (ACE).
The second booster vaccination, she said, would benefit those who are immunocompromised and with comorbidities. Current recommendations in the Philippines for second boosters cover only those 60 years and older, the immunocompromised, and healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, Concepcion said the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should align with a country of reference like the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already allowed second boosters for people 50 years old and above.
"It would be easier rather than reinventing the wheel. The documents are easily accessible for the panel's review," the former Duterte adviser said.
Meanwhile, Gloriani said that the increase in Covid-19 cases might be due to the highly infectious Omicron subvariants BA.4, BA,.5, and BA 2.12.1, as well as waning immunity among the population.