DOH seeks EUA amendment to allow 4th dose vaccination of elderly, immunocompromised

FILE PHOTO: A health worker prepares a dose of the BioNTech Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination for seafarers at a stadium in Manila on July 15, 2021. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has submitted before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an application for the amendment of the emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 vaccines to allow fourth dose vaccination of the elderly and immunocompromised.

The country’s Vaccine Experts Panel earlier recommended providing a fourth COVID-19 shot to senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.

“Ito po ay napag-usapan na rin sa All Experts Group. Inaantay na lang po natin. Nag-submit na po ang DOH ng application sa FDA para sa ating amendment ng EUA for these fourth doses,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press briefing on Tuesday.

(This was already discussed by the All Experts Group. We are just waiting for updates. The DOH has submitted an application before the DFA for the amendment of EUA for these fourth doses.)

“We will wait for the decision of the FDA on this, and then after that, we will discuss for possible implementation,” she added.

READ: Experts recommend 4th COVID shot for elderly, immunocompromised

At present, the EUA of COVID-19 vaccines in the country only allows the administration of the primary doses, booster doses for the general population to address the vaccines’ waning immunity over time, and third shots for the elderly and immunocompromised who failed to gain sufficient immunity despite the primary vaccination.

Vergeire said more than 65 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated, 70.4 million have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine, and 11.6 million have received their booster shots as of Monday, March 21.

RELATED STORY

More than 63 million Filipinos now fully vaccinated – Galvez

KGA