Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) — You can still receive your missed second COVID-19 vaccine dose within six months, the Department of Health said Monday.
During a virtual briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the department recently had a meeting with the vaccine experts regarding the acceptable interval between two coronavirus shots.
“Accordingly, sinabi na rin ng ating mga eksperto, hanggang mga anim na buwan hindi mo po pa rin kailangang mag-repeat ng series. You can still give the second dose of the vaccines,” she said.
[Translation: Accordingly, our experts said the series may not be repeated up to six months.]
The health official said this amid concerns of delayed vaccination due to limited supply in the country. Early June, Dr. John Wong, a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force’s sub-technical working group on data analytics, said that more than a million people have missed their second vaccine dose.
However, Vergeire pointed out that his numbers were “estimates and based on certain assumptions.” She added that there are several reasons why some could not get their second dose, like getting infected with the virus, or getting exposed to a COVID-19 patient that would require one to be quarantined.
She also noted the experts’ recommended vaccination intervals for some vaccine brands being used in the country based on studies conducted. For Pfizer and Moderna, interval could be up to 42 days, and Sputnik V up to 90 days.
Acceptable interval for the two shots of Sinovac was not stated, but she noted that the second shot should be administered “as soon as possible.”
Initially, it should take at least 21 days before vaccinees receive their second dose.
As of July 4, a total of 11,708,029 doses have already been administered. Some 8.839 million have received their first doses while 2.868 million others have already completed their two doses.
By November, the government aims to vaccinate 50% to 60% of the population by focusing on Metro Manila to reach immediate protection.
When asked if this is still attainable, Vergeire maintained that it is still possible based on the speed and scale of the immunization program in the capital. However, she noted that there are factors to consider to conclude that population protection is achieved.
She explained that of the total population vaccinated, it is important to ensure that target vaccination for the most vulnerable – the senior citizens and people with comorbidities – is achieved.
Details on the progress of vaccination in Metro Manila alone were not provided but based on latest data from the government’s pandemic task force, 788,630 senior citizens and 897,719 people with comorbidities have received their two doses.
