Gov’t not yet recommending booster shots for aged 12 to 17 — Vaccine Expert Panel

The government is not yet recommending COVID-19 booster shots to children aged 12 to 17 as there are no studies yet to prove that their immunity wanes after receiving the primary series, the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) said on Thursday.

In a radio interview, VEP chief Dr. Nina Gloriani explained that other countries are already looking at administering booster shots for the 12 to 17 age group among the immunocompromised, but not yet the Philippines.

“Sa ngayon, very recent lang naman na nabigyan sila ng bakuna eh so they should still be protected. Hindi pa. Hindi pa nare-recommend,” she said.

[So far, they have been vaccinated very recently, so they should still be protected. The government is not yet recommending booster shots for them.]

“Titignan pa kasi kung magwe-wane ba ‘yan agad. Alam mo ang mga bata, mas maganda mag-mount ng immune response kaya magtatagal ‘yan. Kailangan makita na talagang nagwe-wane,” she added.

[Experts will study if their immunity will wane soon. You know, children could better mount an immune response, so that will last. We have to see first if their immunity really wanes.]

Gloriani said the government will await studies from abroad that would show that the immunity of the minors aged 12 to 17 wanes after a certain period after receiving their 1st and 2nd ant-COVID doses.

On November 3, 2021, the Philippines started the COVID-19 vaccination for the 12 to 17 age group.

In late December of 2021, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 to 11 years old.

The government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 77 million Filipinos against COVID-19 by the end of March, and 90 million by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.

The Philippines on Wednesday recorded 1,534 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's total tally to 3,655,709. — RSJ, GMA News