THE first batch of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to two priority sectors — healthcare workers and senior citizens — as only a little over a million doses are expected to arrive this month, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said yesterday.
The first batch is a donation of the COVAX Facility, a worldwide initiative aimed at ensuring fair, equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
“There are just 1,002,000 doses coming COVAX Facility so we will use them for the A1 (healthcare workers) and A2 (seniors) population,” said Vergeire said in a press conference.
“It will not be enough if we prioritize A1 to A3 (people with comorbidities) population, or our most vulnerable population,” she added.
Negotiations are ongoing with countries that have expressed interest in donating bivalent jabs to the Philippines.
Based on the latest DOH data, there are over 3 million fully vaccinated members of the A1 sector, with 1.8 million having been received boosters.
As for members of the A2 sector, 6.9 million are fully vaccinated, with 2.7 million with booster shots.
Vergeire said the Department of Health has set a four-month interval for the inoculation of the bivalent vaccines from the last jab administered.
“For example, if you were last vaccinated in October last year, you can receive your bivalent vaccines after four months of being inoculated,” she said.
To note, bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are indicated only as booster shots, and not as primary series.
Vergeire also said full operational guidelines on the use of the bivalent vaccines are set for signature of the DOH executive committee. A memorandum on the guidelines will then be issued so local government units can prepare.
To recall, the COVAX Facility has committed to donate 1,002,000 doses of the bivalent jabs which contain components of the Omicron variant and subvariants.
