Duque: VEP to submit recommendation on COVID-19 booster dose interval Friday

The Vaccine Expert Panel will formally submit its recommendation on the interval period of COVID-19 booster doses to the Food and Drug Administration by Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

This was confirmed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“Still waiting for [the] action of FDA once it receives [the] formal recommendation of the VEP [which] they will submit tomorrow at the latest,” Duque told GMA News Online.

Asked if the recommendation is to lower the interval period to three months, Duque said he believes it is for about three to four months.

"I think three to four months. But please wait for [the] final recommendation from VEP," he said.

Currently, fully-vaccinated individuals may get their booster shots after six months after receiving the primary dose series for several vaccine brands and three months for the Janssen vaccine.

Duque previously pushed for inoculating individuals with booster doses within three months, saying it would confer higher protection.

Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said they are looking to shorten the interval period between four to six months.

The Philippines began administering booster shots to healthcare workers on November 17 while seniors and immunocompromised individuals started receiving boosters shots on November 22.

The government started administering booster shots to all fully vaccinated adults on December 3.—AOL, GMA News