WHO recommendations on boosters will be delayed by 1-2 weeks — Duque

The recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on booster shots and additional doses will be delayed by one to two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the recommendations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) were supposed to be released on November 18.

“Originally, itong November 18 pero mukhang maantala daw ng isang linggo o dalawang linggo,” Duque said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Originally, they were supposed to release it this November, but it seems like it will be delayed by one to two weeks.)

“Sabi kong ganon baka hindi na natin pwedeng antayin pa. Kung makapag rollout na tayo depending sa magiging advise ng ating All Experts Group, so aantayin natin ‘yan,” he added.

(I said if that’s the case, maybe we don’t have to wait for it. Maybe we can rollout now depending on the advice of our All Experts Group.)

The DOH previously said the inoculation of booster shots and additional doses must have an approved amended emergency use authorization as well as the SAGE recommendations.

Duque issued the remark as he described the phases of the implementation of the booster doses.

Booster offers longer protection

Citing the Food and Drug Administration, Duque said that booster doses may offer longer protection against COVID-19.

“[T]inanong ko rin ‘yan kahapon sa FDA, sabi ko sa kanya kung may budget tayo for a booster dose, paano naman kung after six months ‘yung booster dose mahina na naman ang protection, kailangan ba maglaan na naman ng budget?” he said.

(I asked the FDA about that. I asked if we needed another budget after six months of administering booster doses.)

“Sabi naman sa akin ng FDA mukhang ang lumalabas na kaalaman o bagong impormasyon, mukhang mas tatagal na ang booster dose,” he added.

(The FDA said that studies show that booster doses offer longer protection.)

Duque said they may have more information on the effectiveness of boosters by the first quarter of 2022.

The DOH on Monday evening announced that fully-vaccinated healthcare workers may get booster shots starting Wednesday, November 17.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the country may start inoculating fully-vaccinated senior citizens and persons with comorbidities with additional doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine by next week. — RSJ, GMA News