Duque: No sufficient data how long vaccines can actually provide protection

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday said there is no sufficient data yet which will state how long the vaccines can actually provide protection to an individual.

At the House Special Committee on North Luzon Quadrangle Growth, Duque was asked on the duration of the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines amid reports that a booster shot is still needed in some vaccines.

At present, Duque said the need to adopt a booster dose policy in the country "remains to be seen."

"We keep our ears to the ground to make sure whether there is new report or new data to support it and when these vaccines we are now using might actually provide more lasting protection beyond six months. In general, mga six months to nine months daw eh [between six months to nine months]..." Duque said.

"Whether we need to adopt a booster dose policy, that remains to be seen because we still don't have sufficient data precisely to establish how long these vaccines can provide protection," he added.

According to Duque, manufacturing firms of COVID-19 vaccines continue to work with their supporting research scientist teams "to monitor the antibody protection level for each of these vaccines."

"Not all vaccines are created equal so each one has to really monitor, consolidate the data and pursue further studies to see the antibody levels in persons who have been vaccinated by any of the seven vaccines. Today we only have two, Sinovac and AstraZeneca," he said.

Earlier reports said that in the United States, the possibility that a booster shot will be needed between nine to 12 months after people are initially inoculated against COVID-19 is being studied.

Initial data showed that COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc. and partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE retain most of their effectiveness for at least six months, the same report said.

Health experts have pointed out that rapidly spreading variants of the coronavirus and others that may emerge could lead to the need for regular booster shots, including the annual flu shots, it added. — RSJ, GMA News