DOH, HTAC urged to allow aged 50 and up to get 2nd booster of COVID-19 jab

Former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Sunday appealed to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to start the administration of the second COVID-19 booster vaccine dose to those aged 50 and above.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Concepcion, who is also the convenor of the Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), said they will recommend that 70% of the 70% fully vaccinated Filipinos get boosted in order to gain an incentive of optional use of face mask outdoors.

He explained that this will help local government units (LGUs) ramp up the booster uptake in their respective areas.

“Ang hinihingi namin sa DOH at HTAC, sana payagan na ang mga 50 years and above sa second booster shot. Dito medyo nade-delay ang HTAC. At isa sa problema ng HTAC kasi, medyo mabagal sila sa decisions,” he said.

(What we are asking from the DOH and HTAC is to allow those aged 50 and above to get the second booster shot. The HTAC is quite delayed in this. And one of their problems is they are a bit slow in making decisions.)

The DOH earlier said it is studying the possibility of allowing adults between the ages of 50 and 59, and immunocompromised frontliners to get a second booster shot.

Those who are only currently allowed to receive the second booster dose are frontline healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals.

Based on DOH’s latest data, some 15.4 million individuals have received their first booster dose, while over 900,000 have received their second booster dose.

At least 71 million individuals, meanwhile, are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Saturday, the DOH registered 2,578 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily tally since February. 

The new infections brought the country’s caseload to 3,730,545.

Active infections also rose to 18,990.

More patients recovered from the viral disease, bringing the recovery tally to 3,650,914, while the number of deaths remained at 60,461. —KG, GMA News