Expert says vax efficacy decreases among people with high blood sugar

A health expert on Wednesday said vaccine efficacy declines among those with elevated blood sugar, thus booster shots are needed to prevent them from getting hospitalized or dying.

During the Department of Health’s Kapihan session, Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism's Dr. Aurora Macaballug explained that while people of all ages could be infected with COVID-19, those with diabetes have an increased risk of getting a severe infection.

She said according to a cohort study, 20% or one out of five people with COVID-19 have been found with diabetes.

As a result of the viral disease infection, about 30% of the people with diabetes experience respiratory failure, 34% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), while 53% died.

Citing study findings from the International Diabetes Federation, Macaballug said those with elevated Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), or the three-month average of blood sugar, are more prone to decreasing vaccine efficacy, thus booster doses, on top of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, are needed to prevent their risk of hospitalization and even death.

“‘Yung booster jabs very effective po siya para mag-increase ang proteksyon natin against severe disease o malalang pagkakasakit from the Omicron and other COVID-19 variants. So, very important po at ating nire-recommend ang booster para po sa mga tao, lalo na sa taong may diabetes,” she said.

(The booster jabs are very effective to increase our protection against severe disease or chronic illness from the Omicron and other COVID-19 variants. So, it is very important and we recommend the booster for people, especially those with diabetes.)

She then explained that if one has well-controlled blood sugar, the survival rate against COVID-19 rises to 98.9%, as opposed to a poorly-controlled blood sugar that has 11% chances of dying.

“Dito sa study ng 2020, basta ang blood sugar po ay controlled between 70 and 180, kung magkasakit siya ng COVID, lower ang mortality,” Macaballug said.

(A 2020 study showed that as long as blood sugar is controlled between 70 and 180, mortality rate will be lower if one gets COVID-19.)

She also pointed out those with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are not more prone to getting COVID-19 than the other.

“Pareho po ang rate of infection or incidence sa Type 1 and Type 2. Magkakaiba lang ng po ng outcome kung gaano ka-controlled or uncontrolled ang diabetes kahit siya ay Type 1 or Type 2,” she added.

(The rate of infection or incidence is the same for Type 1 and Type 2. The outcome will just be different depending on how controlled or uncontrolled the diabetes is, regardless of its type.)

Further asked if a second booster shot or fourth dose is already needed for diabetic people, Macaballug said they have no recommendation yet.

“Wala pa tayong recommendation naman for a fourth one or second dose booster. Hindi pa natin alam. Hihintayin natin ang recommendation regarding that, pero ngayon po ang tinututukan natin is the third vaccine natin o ‘yung first booster natin,” she added. 

(We do not yet have a recommendation for a fourth one or second dose booster. We don't know yet. We will wait for the recommendation regarding that, but now we are focusing on our third vaccine or our first booster.)

Currently, the Philippine government is administering third doses to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, while booster shots are given to those who completed the primary doses–single for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, double for the other bands.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje earlier said the NVOC is now eyeing to provide the second booster shots by the last week of April, focusing only on frontliners, senior citizens, and the immunocompromised.

Meanwhile, the United States Food and Drug Authority has recently approved a second booster dose of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech and Moderna Inc. vaccines for people aged 50 and older, at least four months after their previous dose.—AOL, GMA News