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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.