Vax protection on seniors, immunocompromised may wane after 3 mos — expert

(FILE) HOME SERVICE Holding each other’s hands, elderly couple Felicisimo and Natividad Pineda, both 91, receive their second dose of CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinovac BioTech, in their house in Sta. Mesa, Manila.  INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The immune response against COVID-19 developed by senior citizens and immunocompromised after getting vaccines may wane even before six months, the head of the country’s vaccine expert panel said Thursday.

Dr. Nina Gloriani said the immune response of COVID-19 vaccine recipients generally wanes after six months but it could be shorter for the elderly and those with comorbidities.

She said there is data to show that immunity can wane as early as three months.

“‘Pag elderly o immunocompromised, mas maaga magwe-wane ‘yan. So mayroong mga data that showed na three months pa lang or fourth months, five months, bumababa na,” Gloriani said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(The immune response of the elderly and the immunocompromised wane earlier. There are some data that how that it wanes as early as three months.)

“Sa general population, ito ‘yung healthy population, mga 6 months,” she added.

(The immune response of the general population generally wanes after six months.)

However, there are some individuals who have managed to maintain their immunity even after eight or 10 months after being fully vaccinated, Gloriani said, so this still varies for every individual.

The government started administering booster shots for healthcare workers on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Health workers were given the liberty to choose the vaccine of their booster, which may be different from the initial vaccine they received.

The Department of Health (DOH) is currently drafting the guidelines for the administration of booster shots or third doses for senior citizens and the immunocompromised.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said the guidelines for senior citizens will be different from those of the health workers, saying they could receive a third dose instead of a booster shot.

/MUF