DOH considering COVID-19 booster shots for 2022 budget, says exec

The Department of Health (DOH) is considering the inclusion of COVID-19 booster shots in the 2022 budget, a health official said Thursday.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, chief of the National Vaccination Operations Center, said the DOH All Experts Group has yet to recommend booster shots.

“Pinag-aaralan pa ‘yan kung kailangan ng booster, although we are considering it in the 2022 budget. Wala pa kasing firm na recommendation ang ating mga All Experts Group,” she said in an online forum.

(The need for booster shots is still being studied, although we are considering it in the 2022 budget. There is no firm recommendation from the All Experts Group yet.)

“In the next month or two, the All Experts Group will now be able to give us a more final recommendation based on pag-aaral nila sa mga nangyayari sa ating buong mundo (based on their studies on what’s happening worldwide),” she added.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III previously said the Philippines would need around P55 billion to purchase booster shots. 

The United States has announced that Americans should get a booster shot eight months after their second dose. 

For the World Health Organization, however, current data do not support the need for booster doses. 

Members of the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel also said booster shots will likely be recommended for special populations only, such as those with HIV, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. 

The Philippines has fully vaccinated over 12.88 million individuals as of August 18. — RSJ, GMA News