Galvez to discuss lowering of interval for COVID-19 booster shots with FDA, DOH

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday said the government is looking into shortening the interval period of getting booster shots after the primary dose series between four to six months.

During the visit of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 in Bacoor, Galvez said they will study the proposal and make an appropriate recommendation to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Pinag-uusapan nga namin na baka pwede i-elevate na natin sa FDA na magkaroon ng amendment na between four to six [months],” Galvez said.

(We are talking about the possibly of elevating to FDA to amend the vaccination of booster shots to four to six months.)

Galvez said he will talk about the possibility with FDA director-general Eric Domingo and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during Monday’s Talk to the People.

“‘Yun ang nakita namin para ma-expand na natin at mapabilis natin ‘yung protection (we see this as a possibility to expand and hasten our protection),” he said.

“Because we also received some advice from some experts worldwide na mas maganda na ‘yung tinatawag natin hanggang hindi bumababa, nagwe-wane ‘yung proteksyon kailangan bigyan na natin so that drastically improve ‘yung protection.”

(Because we also received some advice from some experts worldwide that we should not wait for the protection to wane before giving a booster shot for it to drastically improve.)

Galvez said the Vaccine Expert Panel recommended the inoculation of three doses for the primary series.

“Mas maganda ‘yung 3 dosing na primaries, parang nakita nila mas malakas ang ating proteksyon if we have ‘yung 3 doses na primaries, particularly ‘yung Sinovac,” he said.

(The 3 dosing for the primary series is good. It seems like they saw that protection is strong if we have 3 doses, particularly for Sinovac.)

Duque previously said the government is looking into lowering to three months the interval period from the recommended six months before a fully-vaccinated individual can receive his booster shot against COVID-19.

Currently, fully-vaccinated individuals may get their booster shots after six months for several vaccine brands and three months for the Janssen vaccine.—AOL, GMA News