The Philippines' Covid-19 vaccination program is still aligned with the latest recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on the use of Covid-19 vaccine.
DOH Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they already discussed the latest WHO SAGE recommendation to the country’s health experts.
“Itong rekomendasyon na ito, meron na siyang (This recommendation, it already has) classifications as to who are eligible or recommended to have booster shots, to have additional doses,” said Vergeire during a press briefing on Tuesday, April 4.
“Nakikita naman po natin na in line at aligned tayo doon sa kanilang rekomendasyon na ayun naman po ang ginagawa natin (As we can see, what we are doing is in line or aligned with their recommendation),” she added.
With this, Vergeire believes that there is no need to make changes in the current implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination program.
“Hindi natin kailangan itigil ang kahit na anong pagbabakuna ngayon na ginagawa natin sa ating bansa dahil ito po lahat ay base sa ebidensya na naipakita at napag-usapan with our experts (We don't need to stop any vaccination activities that we are doing in our country because it is based on evidence as well as discussions with our experts),” she said.
“We already have this proof…ito po naman ay nagiging mabisa dahil tayo ay nagkakaroon ng ganitong proteksyon (this has been effective because it provides protection) among our population,” she added.
Based on the WHO SAGE recommendation, its new roadmap outlines three priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination: high, medium, and low.
The high priority group includes older adults; younger adults with comorbidities; people with immunocompromising conditions; pregnant persons; and frontline health workers. This group is recommended to receive additional booster doses.
The medium priority group “includes healthy adults – usually under the age of 50 to 60 – without comorbidities and children and adolescents with comorbidities,” the WHO SAGE said. The experts recommend primary series and first booster doses for this group.
The low priority group includes healthy children and adolescents aged six months to 17 years old. “Primary and booster doses are safe and effective in children and adolescents,” the WHO SAGE said.
Vergeire said that the DOH will continue to study these new recommendations of the WHO SAGE.
Based on the latest DOH data, more than 78.4 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Over 23.8 million people have received their first booster shot and almost 4.4 million individuals have received their second booster shot.