Individuals interested in getting the Covid-19 bivalent vaccine shot should first complete the Covid-19 primary vaccination series or the first two doses, an infectious disease expert said.
The bivalent vaccine is being used as a booster shot, while the monovalent type is for the primary vaccination series, said Dr. Rontgene Solante, the head for Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.
“Kung wala ka pang primary vaccine series, tatapusin mo muna iyong primary vaccine series using the monovalent, at doon pa lang natin bibigyan ng bivalent kapag nakatanggap ka na or qualified ka na sa booster (If you don't have the primary vaccine series yet, you need to complete that first using the monovalent, and only then will we give you the bivalent when you have received or qualified for the booster),” said Solante during a public briefing on Wednesday, March 1.
At present, the Department of Health (DOH) is still readying the full operational guidelines for the use of bivalent vaccines.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the initial batch of bivalent vaccines that will arrive in the Philippines this month will be given first to health workers and senior citizens.
“Dahil limited lang iyong number of available vaccines kasi mga donations ito galing ng (Since the number of available vaccines is only limited because they are donations from the) Covax Facility, so we need to prioritize the vulnerable population,” said Solante.
It is important for senior citizens to get vaccinated because they are prone to develop severe infection, said Solante.
“The healthcare workers will also be a priority dahil alam naman natin na ang mga healthcare workers are the first line and frontline na in any even na mayroong tataas na mga kaso, una dapat silang maprotektahan para maasikaso nila ang mga nagkakasakit (because we know that they are the first line or frontline in the event that cases will rise again. They must first be protected so that they can take care of those who are sick),” he furthered.
Solante encouraged the said priority sectors to get the bivalent vaccine to further protect themselves and to maintain the low number of Covid-19 cases.
“Kaya napakaimportante na ang effort natin ngayon is really on sana tanggapin ang mga bakuna at magpabakuna ang publiko para at least ma-maintain ang proteksyon (So it is very important that our effort now is really to urge the public to get vaccinated so that at least the protection can be maintained),” he said.