No recommended booster shots yet for aged 17 and below, but open for possibility later on — DOH exec

An official from the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said there is currently no recommended booster shot for 17 years old and below, but added they are still studying and open for the possibility later on.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said experts are still studying the possibility of giving booster shots for aged 12 to 17, adding that the vaccine coverage on the said age group has good results.

“Ang ating booster ngayon ay 18 and above. Wala pa pong recommendation for booster below 18, while our 12 to 17 maganda na yung kanyang coverage titignan ng ating mga mga experts based on studies here and in abroad gaano katagal maglalast yung protection from the primary host,” Cabotaje said in an online press conference.

(The booster shot is only available for aged 18 and above. There is still no recommendation for a booster below 18 years old, while the vaccine coverage for aged 12 to 17, our experts are still studying it based on studies here and abroad, upon how long will the protection from the primary host last.)

“But [the] DOH is not close to the possibility na puwedeng magbooster later on yung pagaaral kung pwede na yung 12 to 17,” she added.

(But DOH is not close to the possibility for booster shots in 12 to 17 years old, it will be based on the study.)

Since the COVID-19 vaccination for minors aged 12 to 17 started in November 2021, Cabotaje said health experts are still monitoring the effects of COVID-19 vaccine among the said age group.

“Yung ating 12 to 17 kaka-start lang natin ng late November at December so titignan after six months to nine months kumusta pa rin ang proteksyon kung may tinatawag na breakthrough infection among these groups,” she said.

(The COVID-19 vaccination for aged 12 to 17 only started in late November and December last year so we will see after six to nine months of its protection if there is a so -called breakthrough infection among these groups.)

“But we are looking also [into] the possibility [that] we may be able to give them later but it will depend ... aaralin pa rin natin ‘yan as time goes by,” she added.

(We are also looking at the possibility, we may be able to give them later but it will depend on whether we will still study that as time goes by.)

Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) chief Dr. Nina Gloriani earlier 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.

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.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 to 11 years old in December last year.

Meanwhile, at least 1.8 million Filipinos are targeted to receive the anti-COVID primary and booster doses during the Bayanihan, Bakunahan 4, which is set from March 10 to 12, 2022.

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. — RSJ, GMA News