Expand fully vaxxed definition to include booster shot, says expert

A senior resident of Navotas City receives her COVID-19 booster shot. Image from Facebook/ Navoteño Ako-Navotas City PIO

MANILA, Philippines — An infectious disease expert on Friday suggested expanding the definition of fully vaccinated individuals to include a booster shot aside from the primary COVID-19 vaccine series.

This is to encourage more Filipinos to get the booster doses against COVID-19, he said.

“We have to change the definition of fully vaccinated that will now include primary vaccine series, plus the booster,” Dr. Rontgene Solante, chief of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at the government-run San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, said during a Laging Handa briefing.

“Kasi meron naman tayong supply ng booster doses [Because we have supply for the booster doses],” he added.

Solante also suggested requiring or encouraging on-site workers to get their booster shots against COVID-19.

“Pangalawa [na solusyon] rin siguro yung pag-require natin sa mga workplaces na pag bumalik ang mga tao sa trabaho na i-require na rin natin, i-encourage natin na bago sila makabalik, andun na rin, naka-booster doses na rin sila,” he said.

(Another solution is maybe to require workplaces that if their employees return to work, to require, encourage that before they go back, that they have received their booster already.)

According to the Department of Health (DOH), 33 million Filipinos eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot have yet to receive the additional vaccine dose.

The DOH conducted “small studies or surveys” which showed that some people believe they already have enough protection against COVID-19 because they have been fully vaccinated and because of natural immunity from coronavirus infection, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said.

She, however, reminded the public that “immunity wanes.”

“That’s why we are offering the boosters because based on studies, it gives you additional protection especially for severe [infection], deaths, and hospitalizations,” she had said.

Based on government guidelines, COVID-19 booster shots may be given to adults at least three months after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, or at least two months after the administration of a one-dose vaccine.

/MUF