DOH stresses importance of booster shots amid new COVID-19 variants

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday reiterated the importance of getting booster shots following the emergence of new COVID-19 variants.

The DOH issued the remark after it was asked if the existing COVID-19 vaccines would work against new subvariants, including the new Omicron subvariant XBB.

“To limit mutations of the virus, transmission should be mitigated through vaccination. With emerging and re-emerging variants and sub-variants reported to have higher immune-evasive characteristics, the DOH stresses the importance of getting boosted against the virus,” the department said in a statement. 
 
“Completing our booster doses and adhering to our health protocols will prevent severe and critical cases, and protect our hospitals and healthcare facilities from getting overwhelmed,” it added.
 
With assistance from the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center, the department said that it would continue to keep track of the coronavirus variants.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron subvariants under monitoring as of October 12, 2022 are BA.5, BA.2.75, BJ.1, BA.4.6, XBB, and BA.2.3.20.
 
The Philippines has yet to report a case of Omicron subvariant XBB.
 
Citing preliminary studies, the DOH said that the “sublineage shows higher immune evasion ability than BA.5.”

Meanwhile, in response to the view of some health experts that the country is nearing the endemic stage for COVID-19, the DOH said it would wait for guidance from "global health partners." 

“The DOH reiterates that as we learn to live with the virus, we must continue to protect ourselves against the severe form of COVID-19,” the department said. 
 
“The DOH will continue to observe the situation locally and internationally and wait [for] our global health partners such as the World Health Organization to declare that the state of public health emergency is over,” it added. — VBL, GMA News