Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has approved the interim guidelines recommended by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) on the inoculation of booster shots and additional doses of the coronavirus vaccine in the country.
HTAC has recommended the implementation of the following vaccination strategies from Q4 of 2021 until 2022:
HTAC recommends booster vaccination for the last quarter of 2021 among the A1 and A2 priority groups at least six (6) months after their primary inoculation, provided there is sufficient vaccine supply.
Also recommended by HTAC is the booster vaccination following the same prioritization among eligible groups (A1 to 15) ONLY IF the following criteria have been met:
| Primary Series | Recommended Booster |
|---|---|
| Pfizer-BioNTech | Pfizer-BioNTech (homologous) |
| AstraZeneca | Pfizer-BioNTech* (heterologous) |
| AstraZeneca | |
| Janssen | Janssen (homologous) |
| CoronaVac (Sinovac) | Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca* (heterologous) |
| CoronaVac (Sinovac) - homologous (only for those contraindicated with mRNA/AstraZeneca) | |
| Moderna | Pfizer-BioNTech* (heterologous) |
| Moderna (homologous) | |
| *preferred booster | |
An additional dose of the same vaccine (homologous) at least 28 days after the completion of the initial COVID-19 vaccine has also been recommended for immunocompromised individuals. For immunocompromised individuals who received Janssen and CoronaVac (Sinovac), HTAC recommends a heterologous additional dose using Pfizer-BioNTech.
According to a statement released by the World Health Organization, immunocompromised individuals with an insufficient immune response to primary series must be prioritized for an additional dose especially when there is evidence of waning immunity, severe disease, and death.
SOURCE: HTAC
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