The Philippines will further expand its COVID-19 vaccination program by allowing the general population aged 18 and above to get a second booster shot.
This was announced by Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire at a press briefing on Wednesday, April 12.
The vaccine brands Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca will be used for the program, whose guidelines will be issued possibly within the week.
Vergeire said she hopes for the implementation to begin “at the soonest time possible.”
The DOH official said the decision to expand the coverage of the second COVID-19 booster campaign was guided by the updated emergency use authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration and the positive recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council.
Previously, only healthcare workers and vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens and people with comorbidities, were allowed to take second booster shots.
As of March 15, 2023, a total of 79.16 million Filipinos had completed the primary series, and 24.17 million had received a booster dose, according to DOH data.
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