Covid-19 vaccine’s 2nd dose may be delayed up to 6 months: NVOC

MANILA – The administration of the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine may be delayed up to a maximum of six months, a health official said on Tuesday.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Myrna Cabotaje made this remark amid the possibility that inoculation of the second dose will be delayed in areas severely ravaged by Typhoon Odette.

“We have a minimum interval – 21 days [for] Pfizer, then, 28 days [for] Moderna, then, 28 days [for] Sinovac, and four weeks for AstraZeneca,” Cabotaje said in the Laging Handa public briefing.

“But then we can have an optimum maximum interval between the doses of 3 to 6 months. So, puwede pang ibakuna iyan, basta ready ng magbakuna iyong ating mga mamamayan (the vaccines can still be administered as long as the concerned individuals are ready),” she added.

To ensure that individuals return to vaccination centers for their second jab, Cabotaje said the regional offices regularly meet to check on the due second doses in different areas.

“Kasama din po iyong adbokasiya, pagpapa-remind sa mga tao na kailangang bumalik para sa kanilang second dose (The advocacy of reminding people the need to return for their second dose is also part of the advocacy),” she added.

Some 3.7 million doses of Covid-19 jabs were administered since the second round of the national vaccination drive started on Dec. 15.

The NVOC said 2.1 million of which were administered as second doses of the primary series, 1.1 million as first dose, and 289,000 as booster shots.