DOH: 2,488 COVID booster shots administered to health workers

More than 2,000 booster doses against COVID-19 have been administered to fully-vaccinated healthcare workers, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency recorded 2% adverse, but mild reactions from the 2,488 boosters administered as of November 17.

“These were all mild reactions such as pain in the vaccination site. Merong nagkaroon ng lagnat, merong sumakit ang ulo, meron namang iba na tumaas ang blood pressure” (Some got fever, headache, and increased in blood pressure), Vergeire said in a media briefing.

“There were no serious adverse events [among those who had] their booster doses,” she said, adding, they were all managed accordingly, and they were all sent home well. 

Vergeire also called on the general public to refrain from getting booster shots and wait for further guidelines to avoid untoward reactions.

According to Vergeire, the emergency use authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration only catered to healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals.

Likewise, she reiterated that private companies are not allowed to administer booster shots or third doses to their employees unless these employees are senior citizens or immunocompromised individuals.

However, the DOH has yet to release the guidelines for the inoculation of booster shots or third doses for the two priority groups.

“Now as to the companies which have ordered or procured additional doses, hindi po kayo pinapayagan para ibigay yan as booster doses to your employees not unless they are part of the senior citizens or they are part of this list of immunocompromised states,” she said.

Vergeire said vaccines nearing expiration may be loaned to the national government. 

“You can undertake this loaning agreement from the national government, kung saan ang national government po ay pumapayag na kunin muna ang mga doses na nasa inyo,” she said.

(You can undertake this loaning agreement from the national government, wherein the national government will get the doses you have.)

“Papalitan po namin ‘yan ng fresh stocks kapag kailangan niyo na po ng fresh stocks diyan sa inyong kumpanya” (We will replace this with fresh stocks once you need it), she added. —LBG, GMA News