Booster COVID-19 shot in December in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines —  Giving of booster shots against COVID-19 for senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas will begin in December.

This will follow a three-day National Vaccination Day, which will take place in the National Capital Region starting on November 29, 2021.

“Para sa ating mga seniors, November 29 ang target. Mauuna siya sa National Capital Region unless babaguhin na naman nila ito… So tayo dito (Cebu) will be on December 6, 2021,” said Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC).

Starting December 13, those in the priority A3 group or individuals with comorbidities in immunocompromised state will get their shots nationwide.

“Ang mga may comorbidities, kasama po dito ang ating mga tinatawag na mommies or pregnant women, December 13 naman po ang pagsisimula ng pagbibigay ng booster shots,” Loreche said.

The National Vaccination Operations Center clarified that the booster shots that will be given to frontliner health workers will not extend to those covered in the expanded A1 list.

The A1 health care workers shall be given a single COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose, either homologous or a heterologous dose, at least six months after the first dose of their two-dose primary dose series.

Those who got the Janssen vaccines will have their booster shot at least three months from the primary dose.

Those who are qualified to get a booster dose may get boosters where they work or reside at the moment and not necessarily from the area where had their primary series.

Minors

Staying on track to herd immunity against COVID-19, Cebu City opened another vaccination site for minors at Robinson’s Cybergate in Fuente Osmeña. Acting Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros led the opening on Wednesday, November 17.

The first one was opened at Southwestern University PHINMA.

The opening of a new site is expected to increase the number of vaccinated individuals in the 12 to 17 age bracket in the city. In VVOC's data, at least 3,291 doses have been administered for the age group, as of yesterday.

Brands

Meanwhile, at least nine vaccine brands have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the Philippines after the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued an EUA to the SARS-CoV-2 rS Protein Nanoparticle vaccine(Covocax) on November 17.

“Ngayong araw po na ito, meron pong nadagdag na isa pong bakuna na under EUA,” said FDA Director General Eric Domingo in a virtual presser.

Covovax, which is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India Private Limited and developed by the US-based biotechnology company Novavax applied for an EUA in the country a few months back.

Domingo said this is a new kind of vaccine.

“Ito po yung tinatawag SARS-CoV-2 rS Protein Nanoparticle vaccine (Covocax). Bagong klaseng bakuna po ito… Ito po ay isang protein sub-unit na isang pure part of the antigenic part po ng virus ang kanyang nire-replicate at saka po ini-inject para po mag-elicit nang immuno response,” Domingo said.

  Like the other vaccines, Covocax will be administered in two doses at 0.5ml per shot.

Domingo said the Covocax has good reviews with only mild side effects and an efficacy rate of 89.7 percent. It can be used towards the end of 2021 or the following year in the country.

The Covocax/Nonavax vaccine was one of the brands Cebu City chose when it expressed interest to purchase its own vaccines.

With ample supply from the national government, local government units were told not to buy their own vaccines anymore.

The other vaccine brands issued an EUA in the Philippines are Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (BNT162b2), ChAdOx1-S[recombinant] (COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca), SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [Coronavac], Sputnik V Gam-COVID-Vac COVID-19 Vaccine, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Ad26.COV2-S (recombinant))Whole Virion, Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine [Covaxin], COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified) [COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna] and COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [COVID-19 Vaccine Sinopharm]. — Decemay P. Padilla, JMO (FREEMAN)