MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Thursday asked Filipinos who received the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm to wait for the recommendation of experts on which booster brand should be administered to them.
DOH Secretary Myrna Cabotaje told state broadcaster PTV that experts have yet to issue a recommendation because the data submitted to the country’s Food and Drug Administration did not specify which vaccine brand could be used as booster for Sinopharm.
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“Maghintay-hintay lang muna (Just wait for a bit),” Cabotaje said.
“We hope that in a couple of weeks, because I know they’ve been waiting for a while. It needs to be pushed because many people are asking. So we will ask not only our experts here, but also the World Health Organization, on what booster they will recommend for Sinopharm,” she added.
Earlier this month, Malacañang said that President Rodrigo Duterte got a Sinopharm booster shot. It was the same brand he received for his primary series.
Duterte received his first dose of Sinopharm vaccine in May 2021 even if it was not covered by the emergency use authorization issued by the FDA at the time.
FDA said the Sinopharm jab administered to the chief executive was covered by the compassionate use permit granted to the Presidential Security Group.
Since the start of the vaccination program in March last year, only 56.4 million people have completed vaccination against COVID-19, while 59.4 million have received partial protection.
The government has so far administered 5.6 million booster doses. — Gaea Katreena Cabico