4th anti-COVID dose has “no added value" yet vs. Omicron –Vergeire

The Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday it has yet to see any additional value that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine could give against the Omicron variant.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said local health experts are already reviewing the efficacy of a fourth COVID-19 dose or a second booster shot from countries that are already administering it, such as Israel.

“Based from the studies that we have initially evaluated, based on the experience of these two countries which have implemented this fourth dose, there is no added value for now for Omicron,” Vergeire said in an interview on ANC.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said the country has already crossed past the crisis stage when it comes to the surge caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Vergeire then emphasized the local experts suggested waiting for further studies and instead focus the government’s attention on improving the administration of the primary vaccine series as there are still a lot of unvaccinated Filipinos in areas outside of Metro Manila.

“We will wait until completed evidence is there and there is already value for the fourth dose,” she added

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said that the Philippines may extend the giving of primary doses of COVID-19 vaccine to up to fourth dose.

However, the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) on Sunday said the fourth anti-COVID vaccine dose may only be administered to the immunocompromised.

VEP chief Dr. Nina Gloriani then explained that since the immunocompromised receive three primary series of COVID-19 vaccine, their fourth dose may serve as their booster shot.

Currently, the government is administering third doses to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, while booster shots are given to those who completed the primary doses–single for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, double for the other brands.

At least 61.6 million Filipinos are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 77 million Filipinos against COVID-19 by the end of March, and 90 million by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.—AOL, GMA News