MANILA, Philippines — All fully vaccinated adults will be eligible to receive COVID-19 booster doses starting December 3, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
“All fully vaccinated adults are eligible to receive COVID-19 booster shots starting tomorrow, December 3! Those who have completed their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines can be inoculated with the following brands regardless of which vaccines are taken in the first two doses,” the DOH said in an advisory Thursday.
The National Vaccination Operations Center will issue operational guidelines on the administration of booster doses for the adult general population, according to DOH.
In an earlier text message to INQUIRER.net, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also confirmed that booster vaccination against COVID-19 for essential workers and indigents will start on Friday.
“Tomorrow,” Duque said when asked when the booster vaccination for the said groups will start.
“Sunod na rin sila (general population) as long as there have been six months from the second dose of a primary series,” he added.
The rollout of boosters on December 3 is earlier than the government’s initial target to provide additional doses for essential workers and indigents by December 10.
READ: Gov’t eyeing COVID-19 vaccine booster for essential workers, indigents by Dec. 10
To recall, booster shots were first launched for health workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals in November.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also approved the administration of booster doses for the adult general population. FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said the DOH will issue guidelines for this development.
The rollout of booster doses for the adult general population comes as the government braces for the threat of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Omicron was declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization as experts fear it could potentially be highly transmissible and affect the efficacy of vaccines.