MANILA, Philippines — Over 2,400 health workers have received booster shots against COVID-19 on November 17, the first day of the rollout for booster doses against respiratory disease, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
“’Yung latest National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) data natin (Latest data from NVOC showed that), there are already 2,488 booster doses administered last November 17 among our healthcare workers,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told an online press briefing.
According to Vergeire, about two percent of the 2,488 healthcare workers who have received booster shots have experienced mild adverse reactions like pain in the injection site, fever, headache, and an increase in blood pressure.
“Lahat ay namanage accordingly and they were all sent home. They are well, so wala po tayong serious adverse events na naitala para sa mga nakareceive na ng booster doses,” she added.
(They were all managed accordingly and sent home. They are well. There is no serious adverse event recorded for those who have received booster doses.)
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said that around 1.6 million booster doses of assorted brands are allocated for healthcare workers, while some five million doses would be set aside for the elderly and immunocompromised individuals.
Based on NVOC data, there are 1.64 million people who belong to the A1 priority group for healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the population for senior citizens or A2 numbered 8.25 million, and for individuals with comorbidities or A3, about 9.02 million.
The DOH also reminded the public that the administration of COVID-19 booster doses is not yet open for the general population.
“The decision to offer booster doses to healthcare workers is still risk-based and its rollout to other priority groups will be implemented on a phased approach,” it said in a statement on Thursday.
The administration of primary vaccination dose series will also be prioritized over booster shots, according to DOH.