IATF OKs COVID-19 booster shots for OFWs about to be deployed

The government’s task force for pandemic response has allowed the administration of anti-COVID-19 booster shots for both land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers  who are set for deployment.

“[The] IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) already decided to provide boosters to OFWs and seafarers who are to be deployed within four months,” vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Galvez, who also serves as the National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer, said Saturday.

Galvez said that the Food and Drug Administration is being requested by the IATF to make the necessary inclusion and amendments.

“FDA only allows boosters for A1 (medical frontliners), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidity),” Galvez noted.

The approval of the administration of booster shots for OFWs was also announced by National Task Force (NTF) spokesperson Retired Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla.

"I just got the confirmation now. He (vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.) said that in order to maintain our competitive advantage as well as protect the much needed livelihood of our OFWs as well as seafarers to secure theirforeign deployment and contract, [the administration of booster shots] is now being approved," Padilla said in a mix of Filipino and English at the Laging Handa briefing.

"Dahil sila ay pasok sa pagiging A1 being the economic frontliners at nagbigay daan na tayo sa A1 prioritization, pwede na po itong simulan. 'Yan po ang huling sagot ni Sec. Galvez," Padilla added.

(Since they are under the A1 category, paving  the way for the A1 prioritization, it could be started. This was Sec. Galvez's latest message.)

Padilla however said an effective date has yet to be announced.

On November 17, the Philippines began injecting booster doses against COVID-19 to healthcare workers.

Earlier, the Health department recommended Moderna, Pfizer, or Sinovac as booster doses for health workers, regardless of the brand they used for their full vaccination.

Sinovac will also be offered as a booster for those that had Sinovac as their primary two-dose shots. 

“We may include the remaining A4 (essential workers), A5 (indigents) and the general population starting December or next year when we reach the threshold of more than 50% [who have] received their second dose,” Galvez said.

“We will give first the boosters for those who were vaccinated six months ago --like [their full vaccination] in March, April, May and June,” he said.

Meanwhile, those who got fully-vaccinated from July onwards are targeted for booster shots in January next year, according to Galvez. —with a report from Jamil Santos/LBG, GMA News