Booster shots to be allocated initially for A1 sector or the health frontliners, says Galvez
(Eagle News) – The Philippines is preparing to buy additional vaccines as booster shots as the highly infectious Delta variant is declared as the dominant COVID-19 variant driving infections in the country.
National Task Force Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., said the NTF has started to negotiate with four different manufacturers that produce COVID-19 booster shots. He, however, did not give further details nor did he name these vaccine manufacturing companies. But he said that the government will “sign a non-binding term sheet soon” to ensure the supplies for booster doses.
“We have started the negotiation and we will sign a non-binding term sheet soon just to lock in the supply,” Galvez said in a statement released on Friday, Sept. 3.
Initially, the booster shots would be allocated for the A1 sector, particularly the medical workers and health care frontliners
The national government has already allocated P45 billion for the procurement of booster shots.
Galvez said that they are just waiting for the “recommendation and evaluation” of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding booster shots.
-WHO reviewing need for booster shots –
WHO has issued a statement on Aug. 10 saying it is studying the need for booster shots in view of the reported waning efficacy of present vaccines against the emerging COVID-19 variants which are more infectious.
“WHO, with support of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and its COVID-19 Vaccines Working Group, is reviewing the emerging evidence on the need for and timing of an additional vaccine dose (booster dose 1) for the currently available COVID-19 vaccines which have received Emergency Use Listing (EUL),” WHO’s interim statement read.
“SAGE is continuously reviewing the literature and has reached out to vaccine manufacturers, the research community and Member States to obtain the most complete and recent data on the issue,” it said.
WHO cited the following rationale for booster doses:
– waning protection against infection or disease, in particular severe disease, over time or waning immunity;
– reduced protection against variants of concern (VOC); or
– inadequate protection from the currently recommended primary series for some risk groups for which evidence from the Phase 3 clinical trials may have been lacking.
WHO said that the “rationale for booster doses may differ by vaccine product, epidemiological setting, risk group, and vaccine coverage rates.”
-At least 6 months efficacy of current vaccines-
It said that “data on immunogenicity of some vaccines suggest that antibodies persist for at least 6 months.”
On current vaccines’ effectiveness, WHO said that “data are currently insufficient to determine if there is a significant decline in vaccine effectiveness against any form of clinical illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection beyond 6 months after vaccination.”
It noted “some reduction in vaccine effectiveness has been reported for some VOCs” or variants of concern.
“Data from Israel suggest that around 40% of breakthrough infections are in immunocompromised individuals. While breakthrough infections are still expected, the vast majority are less severe than those seen in unvaccinated people,” it said.
But WHO on Aug.10 viewed with concern the “global availability of vaccines.”
“Offering booster doses to a large proportion of a population when many have not yet received even a first dose undermines the principle of national and global equity,” it said.
Philippine vaccine czar Galvez Galvez pointed out that the WHO has not yet recommended the use of booster shots in the Philippines.
Philippine vaccine experts, on the other hand, are still currently assessing the feasibility of administering them.
“But once they give us the cue that boosters are needed, we will process and arrange the procurement,” Galvez said
(Eagle News Service)