The Department of Health (DOH) clarified on Monday (Sept. 13) that the DOH All Expert Group (AEG) is still “carefully deliberating” on the administration of booster shots to healthcare workers here.
In a statement, the DOH said no final recommendation was made from the experts’ end, nor an approval from the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).
This comes after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a public briefing on Monday that the government’s vaccine experts have approved the proposal to administer booster shots to healthcare workers.
“Moot and academic na po iyan kasi nabalitaan ko naman na nagdesisyon na po ang NITAG, iyong ating mga eksperto sa bakuna, na magbibigay po ng booster shots sa mga health workers,” Roque said.
Roque made the statement after he was asked whether booster shots must be given to medical workers, following the reports that about five doctors who are fully vaccinated with Sinovac vaccine were hospitalized due to severe COVID-19.
Meanwhile, vaccine makers and infectious disease experts here and abroad agreed that vaccine efficacy generally wanes over six to eight months based on studies conducted.
“May mga data kasi na nagsasabi na iyong nabigyan noong bakuna especially Sinovac, iyong neutralizing antibody, iyong proteksyon bumaba talaga siya after 6 to 8 months,” Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Vaccine Expert Panel member Dr. Rontgene Solante earlier said.
He added that some Asian countries that started administering a third shot of the Sinovac vaccine have seen good results in protecting individuals from contracting the COVID-19 Delta variant. – Report from Louisa Erispe / CF – rir
