COVID booster jabs may only be given 6 mos after 2-dose vax, 3 mos after 1-dose vax

Vaccination of health workers. Image from Batangas PIO

MANILA, Philippines — Health workers may only receive a COVID-19 booster shot after at least six months of completing a two-dose vaccine regimen and three months after receiving a single-dose vaccine.

This is based on the guidelines of the administration of booster doses to health workers, who are under the A1 priority group, released by the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday.

Two-dose vaccines include Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V while Janssen and Sputnik Light are single-shot vaccines.

The DOH earlier said health workers can get their booster shots starting Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Approved booster shots for health workers are single doses of Pfizer, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca and half the regular dose of a Moderna shot.

Healthcare workers can choose the same brand (homologous) or a different one (heterologous) from the vaccine they first received. But this will be based on the brand mixing approved by the government, the DOH said.

Should they choose to get a different brand for their booster shot, they may receive the following:

Sinovac:

-AstraZeneca

-Pfizer

-Moderna (half dose)

AstraZeneca:

-Pfizer

-Moderna (half dose)

Pfizer:

-AstraZeneca

-Moderna (half dose)

Moderna:

-AstraZeneca

-Pfizer

Booster shots are given to those whose immunity is waning overtime after completing the required vaccine shots.

/MUF