Individuals with high exposure to Covid-19 should be prioritized in distributing second Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, an infectious diseases expert said on Friday.
Dr. Edsel Salvana said health workers and vulnerable populations might need second booster shots more than the general public.
“Baka mas maging targeted if ever man magbibigay tayo ng fourth shot or second booster dose lalung-lalo na doon sa mga highly exposed katulad ng health care workers at doon sa mga vulnerable population, iyong matatanda at iyong may mga comorbid infections,” Salvana said in a Palace briefing.
Salvana said vaccines work by decreasing transmission and infection and protecting an individual against severe disease.
A first booster shot increases the protection of an individual against Covid-19, he said.
“Iyong difference between two shots versus three shots, iyong first booster dose mukhang tumataas talaga iyong protection against infection at mayroong bahagyang increase in the protection against severe,” Salvana said.
A second booster shot offers slightly better protection that Salvana said could be insignificant.
“Iyong sa fourth dose, mukhang sa tingin namin, while there might be some increased protection to infection, iyong increased protection from severe disease, medyo konti lang iyong nadadagdag. At alam natin na even just with two doses, even without a booster, iyong ating current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease,” he said.
“Sa tingin ko ipagpaliban muna natin [ang second booster shot]. Unang-una siyempre marami pa rin ang hindi nakakakuha ng kanilang primary series so kailangan talaga natin i-prioritize iyong mga ‘yun,” he added.
The government is eyeing to provide 72.16 million booster doses to Filipinos by yearend.
So far, only more than eight million booster shots have been administered. John Ezekiel J. Hirro