MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has maintained that there is no need to alter the government’s vaccination program even with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country’s vaccination program is aligned with the COVID-19 vaccination guidelines issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) of the WHO.
“We don’t need to stop any vaccination that we’re doing now in our country because this is based on evidence and been presented and discussed with our experts… and we already have proof that this will give protection among our population,” Vergeire said in Filipino in a press briefing Tuesday.
According to Vergeire, the latest SAGE recommendation provides classifications on who is eligible to have booster shots or additional doses.
Vergeire, however, said the DOH will continue to study the latest recommendations of the WHO SAGE, and the agency will consult again with experts if necessary guidelines will be issued on who is eligible for additional doses.
The SAGE has revised the guidelines and recommended to highly prioritize older adults, younger adults with comorbidities, people with immunocompromised conditions, pregnant persons and frontline health workers in getting additional booster shots.
Healthy adults without comorbidities and children and adolescents with comorbidities are recommended to get primary series and first boosters.
The low-priority group, including healthy children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years, is advised to get the primary series and booster doses.
Latest DOH data showed a total of 78.4 million individuals nationwide are fully vaccinated, with 23.8 million receiving 1st booster shots and 4.4 million with 2nd booster shots.
There are 7.2 million fully vaccinated elderly, with some 2.9 million having received booster shots.
The DOH also reported that 10.2 million adolescents (12 to 17 years old) are fully vaccinated with 1.2 million having been boosted, while 5.6 million children (5 to 11 years old) have completed the primary series.