Philippines starts giving COVID-19 booster shots to seniors, persons with comorbidities

The Philippines on Monday started giving booster shots to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, or those belonging to A2 and A3 categories, respectively, to allow more Filipinos get additional protection against COVID-19.

During the ceremonial booster vaccination for the A2 category held at the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said many senior citizens were anticipating and registered for this program.

During the ceremonial booster vaccination for the A2 category held at the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said that many senior citizens were anticipating and registered for this program.

“Ito ang hinihintay ng ating senior citizens, na magkaroon ng additional dose and protection at nakikita natin na talagang natutuwa po tayo at very very excited na magkaron po tayo ng tinatawag po nating rollout for our seniors,” Galvez said.

(This is what our senior citizens have been waiting for, to have additional dose and protection. We are very happy and excited for this booster rollout for the seniors.)

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said that in the National Capital Region, there are 953,212 or 95% elderlies who are fully vaccinated while 857,092 or 98% got their first dose.

“What we are doing right now, vaccinating our children at the same time vaccinating as boosters naman itong ating mga senior citizens and persons with comorbidities, I’m very sure, talagang ‘yung proteksyon natin, ibang level na po (our protection is on a different level),” he said.

Galvez said the country has “enough doses of various brands” of COVID-19 vaccines to cover the booster shots for those belonging in the two categories.

He said some 6 to 8 million doses have been allocated for the booster shots. This does not include the 1.6 million allocated for the additional doses for frontline healthcare workers.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the booster shots are given when immunity is starting to wane after several months since receiving the vaccine while additional doses, or the third doses, are given to individuals who cannot mount the appropriate immunity against the sickness.

“We have to remember the difference between a booster dose and a third dose. Ayon po doon sa World Health Organization (WHO) interim recommendations nila na lumabas noong October 4, sinabi po nila doon na ang immunocompromised individuals katulad nung mga nasa listahan natin, they cannot mount that adequate immune response na kailangan o expected na when you are vaccinated so kaya binibigyan natin sila ng third dose,” she said at a press briefing.

(According to the interim recommendations of WHO released last October 4, the immunocompromised individuals cannot mount that adequate immune response that they need if vaccinated. That’s why we’re giving them a third dose.)

“Ngayon itong pong mga seniors citizens, kami po ay nagkaroon ng discussion with our experts last week, at according to them, the senior citizens are not considered immunocompromised so they will get booster doses instead of the third doses.”

(We had a discussion with our experts last week and according to them, the senior citizens are not immunocompromised so they will get booster doses instead of third doses.)

Immunocompromised individuals who are eligible to receive the additional vaccine dose include those with immunodeficiency state, people living with HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant patients, and patients under immunosuppressive treatments.

Galvez said the country has “enough doses, of various brands” of COVID-19 vaccines to cover the booster shots for those belonging in the two categories.

He said some 6 to 8 million doses have been allocated for the booster shots. This does not include the 1.6 million allocated for the additional doses for frontline healthcare workers.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said the same system of pre-registration during the administration of primary shots will be followed for the boosters.

“According to the registration, sila (booster recipients) ay tatawagan for their schedules,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH) said those belonging to A2 and A3 categories are eligible to be given a single COVID-19 booster dose, either a homologous or a heterologous dose.

A homologous booster dose means an individual will be inoculated with the same vaccine brand used in their primary series while a heterologous booster dose means an individual will be vaccinated with a different brand.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III personally vaccinated Expert Panel Head Dr. Nina Gloriani of Sinovac and Dr. Jaime Montoya, Executive Director of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) of Pfizer. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News