THE administration of booster shots to minors aged 12-17 years but outside the priority in that age group has been delayed because of a requirement set by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, head of the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC), said the HTAC requires 40 percent of booster shots in an area allocated to senior citizens.
“Scientifically, they have a basis. But, operationally, we will have difficulties following it,” she also said.
The provision of the booster to certain vulnerable 12-to-17-year-olds started on Wednesday last week. The rest, or the non-immunocompromised minors in that group, were supposed to start getting shots over the weekend.
Cabotaje said the NVOC is talking with the HTAC, an independent advisory body created under the Universal Health Care Act, and tasked to provide guidance to the DOH on the coverage of health interventions and technologies to be funded by the government, among others.
“We are trying to negotiate for them to remove such conditions and just retain the five-month interval between the second dose and the booster shot,” said Cabotaje.
As recommended by the HTAC last week, the priorities for the 12-to-17 age group, who started receiving boosters on Wednesday last week, are adolescents receiving cancer treatment, those who have received organ transplant or stem cell transplant, who have moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency or advanced HIV infection, who are on chronic dialysis, who are living with autoimmune disease, and those considered in an immunocompromised state as advised by attending physicians.
Cabotaje said uptake has been slow for booster shots for immunocompromised adolescents.
She said that in Metro Manila (National Capital Region), only 45 vaccinees have been reported since last Wednesday.
“There are parents who want to have all their adolescents children boosted together. It is also possible that there are not many adolescents that will meet the definition of immunocompromised,” said Cabotaje.
DOH data show there are 238,030 fully vaccinated adolescents with comorbidities, a percentage of whom are eligible for the third dose.
There are 9.4 million adolescents aged 12-17 years eligible for booster shots.
Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday said the DOH has started discussions on whether if it is already necessary to expand the coverage of the second booster shots.
Currently, second booster shots are allowed only for healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals.
Among those being eyed for inclusion are those with comorbidities as well as other frontliners, Vergeire said.
“We are discussing those mentioned by Dr Nina Gloriani (chair of the Vaccine Expert Panel), such as the A3 (comorbidities) and other frontliners,” she said.
Earlier, Gloriani said second booster shots should also cover the A3 sector and all frontliners other than those in the medical field.
Vergeire said they are also considering the possibility of adding the 50-59 year old age group.
