THE national government will put on hold the rollout of the administration of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) booster doses to non-immunocompromised adolescents aged 12 to 17 due to the conditions set by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC).
In a television interview Sunday, June 26, 2022, National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) Chairperson and Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said that based on the recommendation of the HTAC, healthy teens may only be given booster doses if the booster coverage for senior citizens in their respective areas is already at 40 percent.
She said they are negotiating with the HTAC hoping that booster doses for teens will be allowed regardless of the booster coverage for the elderlies.
On Wednesday, June 22, the national government started the administration of booster doses to immunocompromised teens in hospitals.
Immunocompromised adolescents may get their booster doses 28 days after the second dose of their primary series.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the administration of booster doses to the rest of the 12 to 17 years old population will come days later.
Healthy adolescents may have their booster doses three months after their final dose of the primary series.
Cabotaje said the booster vaccination of immunocompromised teens is slow.
She said only 45 teens got boosted in the National Capital Region since it was launched.
“Medyo mababa at medyo mabagal. May operational problems kasi ‘yung paghahanap ng mga immunocompromised. Tapos ‘yung mga nanay pati ‘yung mga ospital hindi nagco-configure kasi gusto nila na isabay pati ‘yung mga anak nila na hindi immunocompromised,” said Cabotaje.
(Pretty low and slow. There are operational problems because of the search for the immunocompromised. Mothers, as well as the hospitals, do not configure it because they want to include their children who are not immunocompromised.)
Currently, over 9.4 million teens in the country are already fully vaccinated. (SunStar Philippines)