The Department of Health (DOH) included the funds to purchase COVID-19 booster shots in the proposed 2022 budget.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, evidence supporting booster shots remains “minimal” and incomplete.
“Equity and safety [are] what the government is trying to consider now. Hindi po natin sinasara ang pinto (We are not closing our doors to booster shots),” she told a briefing.
“Alam po natin mangyayari at mangyayari itong booster shots na ito and, actually, we already have saved money for our booster shots for 2022 kung saka-sakali. Nakalagay na po ‘yan don sa aming pinropose na budget,” she added.
(We know that we will reach a point where we would need booster shots and, actually, we already have saved money for our booster shots for 2022 if ever it is approved. That is included in our proposed budget.)
The DOH official said she has yet to confirm the budget for booster shots but noted that the initial amount was P45 billion.
Funds for COVID-19 booster shots included in proposed 2022 budget
“One thing sure, we are going to have boosters for health workers and for the immunocompromised maybe next year, for the reason that the health care workers are the most at risk and ‘yung immunocompromised hindi naman kasi sila nakaka-mount ng adequate antibodies. How soon from the primary dose – ‘yun ang inaaral pa,” said DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje.
The United States will begin distributing COVID-19 booster shots to individuals 8 months after being fully vaccinated.
According to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, people will “likely” need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.
But according to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 booster shots are not yet needed based on the data.
The WHO also insists that the vaccination of vulnerable populations or those at risk when hit by COVID-19 must be completed first.
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