Filtered By: Topstories
News

VEP: FDA asked to include seafarers, OFWs in 2nd COVID-19 booster


The Department of Health had asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand the inoculation of the second booster dose to seafarers and overseas Filipino workers, the Vaccine Expert Panel said Friday.

VEP member Nina Gloriani added that the FDA had not yet approved inoculating the general population with the second booster.

“Pero, ang pagkakaalam, ang DOH ay may request sa FDA na palawigin o i-expand, especially ang second booster, dito sa seafarers at sa overseas Filipino workers,” Gloriani said at the Laging Handa briefing.

(As far as I know, the DOH requested the FDA to expand, especially the second booster, to seafarers and overseas Filipino workers.)

“We are recommending that… especially doon sa mga may mga maraming comorbidities kahit hindi sila considered under doon sa dinefine ng WHO na immunocompromised,” she later added.

(We are recommending that… especially for those with a lot of comorbidities even if they are not considered under those defined by WHO as immunocompromised.)

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. previously pushed for the expansion of the second booster dose to overseas workers and uniformed personnel.

Meanwhile, Gloriani also hoped that second booster doses would be expanded to individuals with comorbidities.

At present, only healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are eligible for their second booster dose.

According to the DOH, immunocompromised individuals are those in an immunodeficiency state, with HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant recipients, undergoing steroid treatment, patients with poor prognosis/bed-ridden patients, and other conditions of immunodeficiency as certified by physicians.

Individuals with comorbidities or the A3 priority group include adults aged 18 to 59 with “any controlled comorbidity."

“May mga marami pong sakit na maraming gamot na iniinom ay meron din somehow immunocompromised condition po ‘yan. So sana masama na rin ang A3,” she said.

(There are other people with illnesses who also take a lot of medicine and who are somehow immunocompromised. So I hope they will include the A3.) — DVM, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT