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Members of an expert panel advising the Philippine government on COVID-19 vaccines said Thursday that they’re looking at the possibility of recommending booster shots amid reports of waning immunity of vaccines.
“We want to come up with some recommendations soon, [possibly] by next week, at least for some of our health care workers and [those who are] immunocompromised,” said Dr. Nina Gloriani, vaccine expert panel chairperson at the Department of Science and Technology.
In case of recommendations for a booster shot, priority would be given to particular populations — such as people living with HIV, diagnosed with cancer, aged 60 and over, and people who are taking immunosuppressive drugs — and not the general public, said Dr. Rontgene Solante, also a member of the panel.
The experts however emphasized that there’s no need to rush on giving out booster shots.
WHO: Science, not companies, to inform need for COVID-19 booster shot
As the COVID-19 delta variant spreads, some countries have announced plans to administer vaccine booster shots. But WHO officials say priority should be given to members of high-risk groups who have yet to be vaccinated.
In the case of the Sinovac vaccine, a new, but yet to be peer-reviewed study showed that antibodies among those who’ve received the vaccine declined six months after the second dose. Those who received a third shot of the vaccine six months after the second dose however showed higher antibody levels than those who received them at a four-week interval.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the government has already included in its proposed 2022 budget a provision for a third dose for all Filipinos.
Why it matters: A few countries are already providing a third dose, or booster shots, to some members of their population following reports of COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated groups. In Indonesia, the government has already started giving doses of the Moderna vaccine to health workers as a booster shot after reports of cases among the group.
The World Health Organization, however, has not recommended booster shots, saying there’s no evidence yet that they are needed.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
