(FILE) Senior residents receive jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine at Barangay 672 Zone 73 in Paco, Manila on March 28, 2021, during the start of vaccination for senior citizens by the Manila city government. RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — The administration of booster COVID-19 vaccine shots for the elderly and those with comorbidities will start on November 22, the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday.
In an advisory, the DOH said that those belonging to A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) categories are now eligible to be given a single COVID-19 booster dose, either a homologous or a heterologous dose starting Monday, Nov. 22.
Among the immunocompromised individuals who are eligible to receive the booster shot are those with immunodeficiency state, people living with HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant patients, and patients under immunosuppressive treatments.
A homologous booster shot involves the administration of the same vaccine brand as previously administered, while a heterologous booster shot involves the administration of a different vaccine brand.
All those eligible — who were vaccinated with Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Gamaleya Sputnik vaccines as their primary doses — must wait at least six months before getting a booster shot.
Meanwhile, those who were vaccinated with the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine dose as their primary dose series must wait three months before getting the booster shot.
For the heterologous booster dose, DOH recommends the following brands:
Sinovac — AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna
AstraZeneca — Pfizer, Moderna
Pfizer — AstraZeneca, Moderna
Moderna — AstraZeneca, Pfizer
Gamaleya — Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna
Janssen — AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna
Homologous booster shots for Gamaleya and Janssen doses, on the other hand, are not yet for implementation, according to the DOH.
The DOH reiterates that the administration of booster doses is being conducted in a phased approach and is not yet available for the general population.
RELATED STORIES
DOH: Do not use doses for primary vaccination as booster shots vs COVID-19
IATF approves booster shots for OFWs set for deployment
FDA gives go-signal to use booster shots from 4 COVID-19 vaccine brands