The Philippine government will launch on Monday, April 25, the second Covid-19 booster shot program—starting off with immunocompromised adults.
“All set na po tayo for (We are all set for the) administration of second booster for immunocompromised population,” said DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje in a text message on Sunday, April 24.

Cabotaje said that the program will be rolled out nationwide but it will depend on the readiness of the vaccination centers. “Magtanong po sa mga bakuna at health center natin sa mga detalye (Just ask your vaccination or health centers for more details),” she said.
Based on the DOH guidelines, immunocompromised individuals aged 18 years old and above are “eligible to be given with second Covid-19 booster doses, either homologous or heterologous.”
These individuals are those with immunodeficiency state, HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant recipients, undergoing steroid treatment, patients with poor prognosis/bed-ridden patients, and “other conditions of immunodeficiency as certified by a physician.”
“The second booster dose shall be administered at least three months after the third dose or first booster dose,” the DOH said.
“Eligible individuals shall be given the option to choose whether he/she shall receive a homologous or a heterologous second booster dose, depending on the availability of vaccine brands in the vaccination site,” it added.
The Covid-19 vaccine brands that were approved for use as second booster doses include Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca.
Earlier, Cabotaje said there were about 690,000 Filipinos considered as immunocompromised individuals in the country. The DOH is eyeing to vaccinate 7,000 to 13,000 people on the first day of the program’s launch on Monday.
Meanwhile, the DOH is still awaiting the final recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council with regards to the provision of a second booster shot for senior citizens and healthcare workers.
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Rollout of 2nd Covid-19 booster shot for immunocompromised individuals to start on April 25—DOH