Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 15) — The Department of Health will listen to the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) to give a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised people and senior citizens who have received the shots made by Chinese firms Sinopharm and Sinovac.
“The All Experts panel agrees doon sa mga sinabi ng WHO (with what the WHO said). Ilalagay lang natin sa proseso (We just need to go through the right process), but everything is underway and the government is already planning for this,” Vergeire said in a media briefing.
She added that they need to get regulatory approval before administering third shots.
Alejandro Cravioto, WHO-Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) chairperson, on Monday said all the evidence they reviewed suggested a need for a third dose of the same vaccine for those who have gotten two doses of Sinopharm and Sinovac shots. He added that individuals aged 60 and above must be prioritized because they have shown the “biggest problem” in the immune response. He also said they may be given another brand of COVID-19 vaccine if there is enough supply.
Meanwhile, immunocompromised people also need a third dose so they can be “fully protected,” Cravioto said.
A third dose is different from a booster shot, according to Vergeire. Boosters are given to those whose COVID-19 immunity has waned over time after vaccination while a third dose is for those who did not generate a strong immune response following COVID-19 immunization, she said.
