Expert: Elderly need COVID-19 booster shot 3 to 5 months after last dose

Senior citizens or those ages 60 and above, immunocompromised, and who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should get their booster shot three to five months after getting their second vaccine dose, an expert said Thursday.

Dr. Nina Gloriani of Department of Science and Technology Vaccine Expert Panel (DOST-VEP) said, "Pag elderly or immunocompromised, mas maaga din magwe-wane 'yan [COVID-19 immunity].

(For elderly and immunocompromised, the COVID-19 immunity wanes in a shorter span of time.)

Further, she said, "Mayroong mga data 3-5 months pa lang, bumababa na [ang immunity]. Sa general population, mga six months. Iyong iba, maganda pa rin ang immune response after 8 to 10 months," Gloriani said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(Data show that immunity against COVID-19 is waning within three to five months. For the general population, it is six months, while others could last from 8 to 10 months.) 

"Mabuti na ring umpisahan na rin sana agad ang pagbibigay ng bakuna booster or third dose sa ating mga senior citizens kasi sila iyong talagang mas mabilis ang waning ng immunity" (It's much better to immediately give booster dose to senior citizens), she added.

The Department of Health has already approved Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca as vaccine boosters.

Of these brands, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca could be used as heterologous booster or combined with two doses of Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, as well as one-dose Jannsen.

Sinovac, on the other hand, can only be used as a booster for those who received Sinovac.

"Based on our data on administered third doses, there has not been problems in terms of safety. The reactions just ranged from mild to moderate," Gloriani added.

The government's COVID-19 vaccination program started last March 1, but the administration of boosters for health care workers just started on November 15.

Government data indicate that at least 30.4 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, way behind the target of vaccinating 80% of the country's 109 million population by May 9, 2022. —LBG, GMA News