Doctors' group OK with 2nd booster shot for seniors, with comorbidities

The  Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) on Friday rallied behind proposals seeking to administer second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.

At the Laging Handa press briefing, PCCP president Dr. Imelda Mateo said a fourth dose or a second booster shot of mRNA vaccines will provide the targeted population with 30% more immunity against COVID-19.

Coronavirus vaccines that are using mRNA are Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

“For those who are immunocompromised, ibig sabihin senior citizens o may comorbidities lalo na pag hindi controlled, that added 30% will matter po. Importante po' yun (the senior citizens and those with comorbidities, that added 30% will matter. It is important),” Mateo said.

“Tayo ba iri-risk natin ang ating condition if offered 30% more protection? 'Yun po ang sinasabi ng experts (Are we going to risk our condition if we are offered 30% more protection? That is according to experts), in fact that was the vaccine expert panel,” she added.

The expert panel of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 has earlier recommended the additional inoculation for individuals under the A2 and A3 priority groups.

The interval between the administering of the first and second booster shot, Mateo said, should be one to three months depending on the assessment of the physician managing a patient.

She added the PCCP supports the NTF proposal because they are now seeing the “long-term effects if an individual with pre-existing condition contracted severe to critical COVID-19”.

Israel has started administering the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to its citizens. Other countries that are eyeing to follow are Cambodia, Denmark, and Sweden, Mateo said.—AOL, GMA News