A Marikina resident takes a selfie while getting a booster shot. NI脩O JESUS ORBETA/FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擜s the Philippines is in an 鈥渆conomic storm,鈥� businessman Joey Concepcion, the former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, said last month that 鈥渨e need to protect people who are now keeping our economy afloat.鈥�
This was the reason that he asked the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), which advises the Department of Health (DOH), to approve a second booster shot for private sector employees.
HTAC gives advice to the DOH on which health interventions to spend on.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any reason the HTAC should not approve boosters for 50-year-olds when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which is a well-respected body, has already approved it,鈥� Concepcion said, referring to the main US health agency.
The DOH, on May 18, approved the HTAC recommendation for the administration of second booster shots to health care workers (A1) and the elderly (A2)鈥攊ndividuals aged 60 years and older.
RELATED STORY: Second COVID-19 booster shot rollout underway
He said 鈥渨e are not generalizing that all workers below 60 should get second booster [shots],鈥� stressing that it should only be available to those who need added protection, which, for the private sector, are employees who are 50 years or older.
However, a month has passed and there is still no word from the HTAC: 鈥淲e requested they bring down the age to 50 years [old] for the second booster shot [鈥 hopefully it gets approved already.鈥�
READ: Concepcion: Approve 2nd booster shot for employees
This, as he stressed that 1,516,040 million COVID-19 vaccine doses bought by the private sector are set to expire by the end of the month: 鈥淚f you look at these expiring vaccines, that鈥檚 a lot of money.鈥�
鈥淵es, we have to focus on the first boosters, but the private sector bought these vaccines. This is my frustration,鈥� said Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo, at a news forum on Tuesday (July 19).
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
The vaccines were acquired by the private sector through the tripartite agreement 鈥淎 Dose of Hope,鈥� where half the vaccines acquired is shared with the government.
Each AstraZeneca shot is estimated to cost $5, while each Moderna shot was bought for $27, Concepcion said while breaking down the total expiring vaccines in warehouses鈥擜straZeneca (628,680) and Moderna (887,360).
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
鈥淭he vaccines should be used rather than left to expire. Many productive members of the workforce fall outside of the age limit set by the HTAC. Yet they also have risk factors and are exposed to the virus every day when they come to work,鈥� he said.
Concepcion stressed: 鈥淭he private sector has already proven that it is willing to get vaccinated. There is no need for mandates when it comes to the private sector. They don鈥檛 want to get sick and use up their sick leaves.鈥�
鈥楶颈苍补蝉尝补办补蝉鈥�
With a goal to give out booster shots to 50 percent of the eligible population in the first 100 days of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the DOH said it would launch the 鈥淧inasLakas鈥� campaign next week (July 26).
READ: DOH aims for 23M booster shots in Bongbong Marcos鈥� first 100 days
This, as only 15,098,295 individuals have been administered with booster shots when there are 55,597,203 individuals already eligible to receive a booster shot against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Acting Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that aside from the 50 percent goal for booster shots, the government also has the goal of vaccinating 90 percent of the elderly population.
The department said 5,280,489 senior citizens have already been administered with the first dose; 6,772,318 are now fully vaccinated; and 2,260,098 have already been administered with booster shots.
Based on DOH data, the government already administered 154,117,005 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of June 30鈥�68,323,212 (first dose), 70,695,498 (second dose) and 15,098,295 (booster dose).
鈥淭he DOH will make vaccines more accessible and available in markets, places of worship, malls, transport terminals, offices, factories, plazas, or schools,鈥� Vergeire said on Wednesday (July 20).
READ: DOH to launch booster vaccine campaign to reach target under new admin
She said that to achieve 50 percent booster coverage, the department needs to vaccinate 23,840,032 individuals or 397,334 individuals every day for 60 days. Marcos earlier said there is no need for a law requiring booster shots.
Is it recommended?
The DOH said on May 18 that 鈥渁fter a careful study and consideration of the best available evidence, we shall now roll out, effective immediately, the second booster for our frontline health workers and senior citizens.鈥�
鈥淭his is part of how we fight back against the virus. The second booster [鈥 will enhance protection given by the first booster and the primary series against all variants, including the recent Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1.鈥�
It said the administration of second booster doses to eligible individuals shall be implemented simultaneously nationwide, depending on the readiness of the Regional and Local Vaccination Operation Centers.
The United States-based Mayo Clinic, listing down the recommendations of the CDC, said a second booster shot is recommended for certain people who have a weakened immune system and people who are 50 years and older.
鈥淭his second booster dose can be given to those eligible four months after a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine,鈥� it said, stressing that it is also recommended for people who got two doses of the Johnson & Johnson鈥檚 vaccine.
It said, however, that one might consider delaying a second booster shot if he or she had COVID-19 in the past three months or if getting a second booster dose now would make him or her not want to get a booster in the future.
RELATED STORY: 2nd booster shot: Continuing the fight against COVID-19 in PH
鈥淜ids age[d] 12 and older who have a weakened immune system, got both doses of the Pfizer vaccine and got a single booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine four months ago can also get a second booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine.鈥�
鈥楧on鈥檛 waste it鈥�
As early as last month, Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin has been calling on the government to expand the second booster dose coverage to the general public for complete protection against the disease.
Last Tuesday, the lawmaker reiterated her appeal, noting that more than 23 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated to and bought by the government are set to expire.
鈥淭here are expiring vaccines, there are people who want a second shot, a second booster, and actual real-world data show advantages of having 2 boosters especially among those with comorbidity and among those 50 years old and above,鈥� she said.
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
Based on data from Bantay Bakuna and the National Task Force Against COVID-19, the Philippines, as of June 27, has received a total of 245, 382,600 vaccine doses.
While the government is already set to launch a campaign to expand booster coverage, worries on the possible side effects of the vaccines, remain the top reason for the decision of certain Filipinos to reject inoculation.
Only 1.1 million have received the second booster dose so far, the DOH said,
As indicated by the March 16-31 data from Johns Hopkins Center for Communications program, 60 percent of Filipino respondents who would 鈥減robably, probably not and definitely not鈥� get vaccinated were 鈥渃oncerned about side effects.鈥�
READ: Amid push for boosters, many in PH still fear 鈥榮ide effects鈥�
The figure is nearly unchanged from the 63 percent who reported the same concerns about vaccines in the same period in February.
GRAPHIC Ed Lustan
Other hesitant respondents said they 鈥減lan to wait to see if it鈥檚 safe,鈥� 29 percent; they have 鈥渙ther鈥� reasons, 24 percent; they 鈥渄on鈥檛 believe I need a vaccine,鈥� 23 percent; they 鈥渄on鈥檛 know if vaccines will work,鈥� 19 percent; and 鈥渋t鈥檚 against my religious beliefs鈥� and 鈥渄on鈥檛 like vaccines,鈥� both at 13 percent.
Garin said administering a second booster shot is needed, considering that vaccine-induced protection takes at least two weeks to a month before it takes effect: 鈥淗ow do we fight? We increase our protection. No room for delay.鈥�
READ: More 2nd booster shots for COVID-19 pushed