DOH exec says no recommended booster yet for Sinopharm; Palace justifies Duterte's jab

An official from the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday that there is no recommended booster yet for the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

At a briefing with the House Committee on Health, DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said experts are still studying what booster shot could be given to individuals who received Sinopharm as their primary vaccine.

She said even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no word yet on this matter.

"Unfortunately, we are still studying our policy and our experts group are still looking ano po ang booster sa Sinopharm. There is not enough studies, there is no data available elsewhere abroad, even from Sinopharm, ano ba ang magandang i-booster sa kanya. We are constantly asking our experts," Cabotaje said.

(Unfortunately, we are still studying our policy and our experts group are still looking what can be used as booster for those who first got Sinopharm. There is not enough studies, there is no data available elsewhere abroad, even from Sinopharm, as to what brand/s can be used as booster vaccine. We are constantly asking our experts.)

"Mahirap pong i-recommend kung ano po 'yung ibo-booster. Kung magpri-primary dose, the experts do not agree. Ang gagawin po ng mga nag-Sinopharm, we just ask the patients to wait a little further until we have a final recommendation po from our experts with concurrence po ng FDA na puwede itong i-booster sa Sinopharm," she added.

(It's difficult to recommend what booster will be given to those who receive Sinopharm vaccines. If for primary dose, the experts do not agree. Those who have received this vaccine will have to wait a little further until we have a final recommendation from our experts with concurrence from the FDA regarding the booster vaccine.)

Duterte

Earlier, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte already got a booster shot against COVID-19 and that it was Sinopharm.

"Sa declaration niya kagabi sa Talk to the People, it appears na nakapag-booster na si Pangulo at Sinopharm ang nagamit," acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said last January 7.

(During the Talk to the People last night, it appears he got his booster, and it is Sinopharm.)

Duterte's primary two-dose COVID-19 vaccine is also Sinopharm, a Chinese brand.

On Tuesday, Malacañang justified Duterte's decision to receive a Sinopharm booster even if there is no available data yet that Sinopharm is the appropriate booster for a Sinopharm two-dose primary vaccine.

"[The booster given to the President was] Sinopharm, [and] that is under the advice of the doctor. It is between him (President) and the doctor," Nograles said.

"But tulad ng sinabi ni Usec Myrna, hinihingi pa nila ang data sa Sinopharm bago sila makakapagbigay ng advice kung ano ang maaaring booster shot for Sinopharm (But as Usec Myrna said, they are still asking Sinopharm for data before making a recommendation for the appropriate booster shot for Sinopharm)," he added. —KG, GMA News