Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 23) — Vaccine expert panel chairperson Dr. Nina Gloriani said booster shots for the pediatric population are not yet necessary.
At a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, Gloriani said it may take a long time before children aged 12 to 17 and younger will need to receive an additional jab, citing data that their immune response is still strong because of their age.
“Data also show na mas bata, mas maganda ang immune response,” she said. “So siguro, medyo matatagalan pa bago sila mangangailangan ng booster.”
[Translation: Data also shows that the younger the age, the better the immune response. So maybe, it will take a long time before they would need a booster.]
The expert, however, mentioned that the vaccine expert panel will still be studying the need for booster shot on kids, especially the immunocompromised or those who have existing illnesses.
In the same light, Gloriani cited data saying two shots against COVID-19 are not sufficient to provide protection against the emerging variants of concern such as the Omicron variant. This is why a second booster shot may be needed, especially for those with weak immune system, she said.
The administration of a second booster shot for senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals was previously recommended by the Department of Health (DOH), suggesting that it will further increase their protection against COVID-19.
According to presidential adviser for COVID-19 pandemic Vince Dizon, the government is likely to approve this recommendation once details of the implementation have been finalized by the National Vaccination Operations Center.
