DOH awaits FDA decision on 4th dose for seniors

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has applied for an amended emergency use authorization (EUA) for the administration of a fourth dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine for the elderly and immunocompromised.

In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the application was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the fourth dose or second booster shots upon the recommendation of the Vaccine Experts Panel (VEP).

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

Earlier, VEP member Dr. Rontgene Solante said a fourth dose or second booster may only be needed by the senior citizens and the immunocompromised and not by the younger population.

In the same forum, DOH-Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Edsel Salvana said the evidence on the need for a fourth dose is preliminary.

“Even in the United States, what they approved really is for the immunocompromised people and this is a moving target, and it’s difficult to generalize especially to the public because there many other factors,” he said.

Some of the factors include the current variants circulating, the emergence of a new variant and the creation of new or reformulated vaccines.

“Will that affect the administration of it? If we have given fourth dose of old vaccine? So, all of these are open scientific questions at this time,” he added.

To date, more than 65 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated, 70.4 million have received at least one dose of Covid-19 jab and 11.6 million got their booster shots.