3rd dose, booster COVID-19 vac may spill over into 2022 —DOH
By Nidz Godino
“Although, we’re checking, of course operationally, we need to check how we can do this with this short time period until December”, , Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said inoculation of senior citizens and healthcare workers with third doses and booster shots may spill over into 2022.
When asked if all individuals in the said groups will be inoculated as soon as DOH receives emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines to be used for such, DOH Vergeire said that was the recommendation of the World Health Organization.
“Although tinitignan natin, siyempre operationally, kailangan natin tignan kung paano natin maisasagawa with this short time period, no, hanggang December,baka mag-spill over din tayo hanggang sa isang taon” Vergeire said in an interview .
DOH has given go signal for booster and additional shots of COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers and the elderly within the year, and eligible priority groups by 2022.
Vergeire said DOH has submitted its letter of intent for the application of EUA to the Food and Drug Administration and that it is working on completing required documents.
Vergeire said EUA of the vaccines must be amended as it specifically states number of doses that must be administered.
“Pero ‘yung EUA po kasi nila, ngayon, currently, specific po ‘yun na dalawang doses lang ang ibibigay, and para sa Janssen na vaccine, isang dose lang… kaya kailangan po natin ma-amend,” she said.
Vergeire previously said they will discuss what vaccines would be used.
The DOH official also clarified earlier that booster shots are given when immunity is starting to wane off after several months since receiving the vaccine.
Additional doses, or the third doses, are given to individuals who cannot mount the appropriate immunity against the sickness.
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