Vax makers to apply before end of the week for EUA of booster shots — Galvez

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

MANILA, Philippines — Manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to submit before the end of the week their applications for the amended emergency use authorization (EUA) of their products as booster shots, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.

According to Galvez, the government is waiting for the amended emergency use applications of vaccine manufacturers and the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the administration of booster doses.

“Kinausap na namin ang manufacturers, Pfizer, and others, and they will submit before the end of this week. So before Friday i-sa-submit na nila ang kanilang application and once na lumabas na ang booster EUA from FDA, it will take maybe one week or two weeks, we will wait again for WHO SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization) directive,” he told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

(We spoke with manufacturers like Pfizer and others, and they will submit it before the end of this week. So before Friday, they will submit their application. Once the amended EUAs for booster shots are released, which could take one to two weeks, we will still wait for the WHO SAGE directive.)

Galvez said there are two options for administering booster shots: Using the same brand as the first and second doses, or using a different brand from the primary series of jabs.

“We are still waiting for the guidance from WHO if we can make ‘yung heterologous brand, kasi ‘yun ang nakita natin na issue na gusto ng healthcare workers they will choose their own vaccine,” he said.

(We are still waiting for the guidance of WHO if we can use a heterologous brand because healthcare workers want to choose the vaccine brand for their booster shot.)

He said that the guidelines from WHO may be released on November 15.

“Ang preparation namin sa NVOC (National Vaccination Operations Center) na ‘yung different brands na available, at tsaka ‘yung mga ginamit natin noong March, April, May, June, nakaprepare na ‘yun and then we will deploy it to different hospitals and also different vaccination areas para mauna po natin ang healthcare workers at immunocompromised and later ‘yung other priority sectors,” Galvez added.

(We at the NVOC are preparing different vaccine brands available and those administered from March to June to deploy them to different hospitals and vaccination areas so we can prioritize healthcare workers and immunocompromised individuals and later, other priority sectors.)

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