Many individuals prefer Pfizer for booster dose — DOH exec

MANILA, Philippines — Many individuals prefer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for their booster dose, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje shared on Thursday.

“In terms of brand preference, marami pa rin ‘yung nagre-request ng mRNA, particularly Pfizer, ‘yun sa booster especially,” Cabotaje said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(Many requests for mRNA vaccines, particularly from Pfizer, for boosters especially.)

“Kasi sa booster, pinayagan natin na mamili ‘yung mga magpapa-booster ng kanilang mga bakuna,” she continued.

(For boosters, we allowed vaccinees to choose the vaccine brand of their choice.)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mRNA vaccines “teach our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response inside our bodies.”

Cabotaje encouraged individuals who are yet to receive their primary series of vaccines to get whatever brand is available.

“But, doon sa mga ibang first dose at second dose, sana kung ano ang available na bakuna, ‘yun na rin ang kunin nila,” she appealed.

(For those who will receive their first dose, I hope whatever vaccine is available, get it.)

“So, mayroon tayong (we have) Sinovac, AstraZeneca, at saka (and) Sputnik V, and then, later on, they can have the booster of their choice after six months for the two-dose vials and after three months sa Johnson & Johnson,” Cabotaje added.

Based on the DOH’s data, 932,197 individuals were administered with their booster dose as of December 15.

JPV