Boosters Explained: How Long After Second Dose Must You Wait?
Fully vaccinated individuals must wait six months from their second dose to get their booster shot against COVID-19, authorities said Friday as they started administering the third jabs.
The six-month window applies to those who got Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Sputnik V. Only those who were jabbed with Janssen vaccines are allowed to get boosters after three months, Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
"Para po sa vaccination sites and local governments who are violating this protocol, ito po ay dapat itigil dahil hindi po natin alam kung maaaring magkaroon ng ibang reaksyon sa katawan ng ating mga kababayan dahil binibigay natin outside of the instructions given by the FDA," she told reporters.
There is sufficient vaccine supply to cover the first doses for the unvaccinated and boosters for those who completed their two doses, Vergeire said. The government aims to administer boosters until the second quarter of 2022, she said.
Priority should be given to the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated, she said. After that will come the boosters for medical frontliners, senior citizens, and those with weakened immune systems.
Those who will get their boosters can pick whatever brand they want, depending on the available supply at their vaccination centers, Usec. Myrna Cabotaje, National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson told TeleRadyo.
Chinese-made Sinovac, which accounts for almost 40% of the country's vaccine supply, can only be used as booster to the fully-vaccinated with Sinovac.
Here are the recommended booster shots for different COVID-19 vaccine brands:
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