Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2) — All coronavirus vaccines can be used in all ages except those under 16, but there are specific types of jabs that are more suitable for certain age groups, a health expert said Tuesday.
Dr. Leo Olarte, former President of the Philippine Medical Association said mRNA or messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines like those made by Pfizer and Moderna are suited for the 16-to-65 age group.
Olarte explained that the mRNA vaccine — a new type of jab — is recommended for the younger population since it requires healthy cells to make antibodies against SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. He said mRNA molecules would serve as a messenger by giving cells a copy of instructions on how to make “spike proteins which will induce the body to produce antibodies.”
“Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA or messenger ribonucleic acid molecules to send signals to the cells, so the cells must be healthy. They must be in good condition. It is better if the cell is from a younger age group like 16 or 18 to 65 years old where the cells are in good shape,” Olarte told CNN Philippines’ New Day.
The anti-coronavirus shots of Pfizer and Moderna — have shown high efficacy — around 95% — in clinical trials on thousands of participants, with limited side effects. The World Health Organization earlier said both vaccines should not be given to people who have suffered severe allergic reactions to any ingredient of Pfizer or Moderna’s jab. This was after some people experienced life-threatening allergies after being inoculated with their anti-coronavirus shots. However, these serious allergic reactions are said to be rare. Side effects are usually mild similar to common vaccine reactions.
Meanwhile, traditional jabs or those that use a dead or weakened form of virus that prompts antibody response are recommended for people above 65, Olarte said. Vaccines manufactured by British firm AstraZeneca, US-based Novavax and Johnson & Johnson, and Chinese companies Sinopharm and Sinovac are made of either killed or attenuated virus, the health expert noted.
“These kinds of vaccines do not use mRNA. They use viruses and the virus stimulates antibody formation bypassing the cell. We know that the cells in senior citizens are already old; they [have] degenerated. The responses are not as good as the body cells in a younger age group,” the doctor explained.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III previously said that the shots made by Sinovac, as well as AstraZeneca and Moderna, had shown 100% efficacy against “severe disease occurrence” in clinical studies.
