DOH chief approves booster for covid

[Mike J]

Red high light added by me.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/10/25/doh-chief-finally-approves-covid-booster-shots-for-priority-groups/

AN official of the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday confirmed that Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III has approved the recommendation by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to administer Covid-19 vaccine booster shots and third dose for listed priority groups.

“The Secretary [Duque] has approved the recommendation of HTAC. Lahat po ng plano ay under way na kagaya ng sabi namin sa inyo [All plans are under way just like what we have told you] we will have this third doses for our immunocompromised [people], senior citizens, and boosters for our health-care workers,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online forum.

Vergeire, however said that they are still awaiting the release of the emergency use authority (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration.

“While we are waiting for the EUA…we are already planning and discussing how we can do about with the implementation,” Vergeire added.

On October 13, HTAC wrote to Duque recommending that the first in line to get booster shots would be the health-care workers and this will be done during the last three months of the year.

They will be followed by seniors and “eligible priority groups” next year. An additional dose will be administered starting this year to immunocompromised individuals, but only after 28 days from completion of the initial Covid-19 vaccine series, the letter stated.

Earlier, the DOH noted that based on its review as of September 21, only 12 countries in the world have started to administer booster shots.

These countries have focused on administering booster shots among their elderly and immunocompromised population groups in very limited settings. Majority of these countries have achieved more than 50 percent coverage for primary series of their population.

The government also has allotted P45 billion for booster shots under the proposed 2022 national budget.

Low risk
The DOH also announced on Monday that the country is now at a low risk classification, even as six regions are at moderate risk classification.

Undersecretary Vergeire said that the country is at low risk case classification “with a negative two-week growth rate at negative 48 percent and a moderate risk average daily attack rate at 5.89 cases per every 100,000 individuals.”

“The national health system capacity is also at moderate risk. All of the regions now with a negative two-week growth rate and low to moderate risk case classification,” Vergeire said adding that six regions were recorded with high-risk daily attack rates. Regions 2, 9, and 5 have ICU utilization rates at high risk, while remaining regions have low to moderate beds and/or ICU utilization.

Vergeire also said that Regions 2, 9, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 4B, Region 1, and National Capital Region (NCR) are at moderate risk.

“Decline in cases is seen at the national level and in most regions; however, majority of provinces and cities in CAR, Regions 1, 2, 4B, and 9 remain at moderate to high risk classification with beds and/or ICU utilization rates at high to critical risk,” Vergeire added.

For October 24, 2021, the top regions of new cases are: NCR-1,010, Region 2-646, Region 3-469, Region 4B-426, and Region 4A-423.

Top areas of new cases are: Isabela-309, Quezon City-205, Negros Oriental-165, Pangasinan-161, and Cagayan-152.

Cases
Average daily cases reached baseline cases prior to steep increase at the end of July. The average daily reported cases: October 18-24: 5,251, October 11-17: 7,726, October 4-October 10: 10,478 , September 27-October 3: 14,677. The new peak was recorded on September 6-12: 20,946 as compared to the peak recorded on July 23-29: 5,399.

The DOH added that NCR shows a slow downward trend with reported cases decreased by 35 percent versus the previous seven days.

On Monday, the DOH logged 4,405 additional Covid-19 cases, with 7,561 recoveries and 149 deaths.

The Covid-19 cases in the country stood at 2,761,307.

Bed utilization
“Total beds utilization is now on a decline for the past weeks,” Vergeire said.

From July 1 to October 24, total beds increased by 1,203 (13 percent), while occupied beds also increased by 408 (12 percent).

Meanwhile, ICU beds are at moderate-risk utilization, the DOH added.

From July 1 to October 24, total ICU beds increased by 337 (30 percent), while occupied ICU beds also increased by 227 (50 percent).

Deaths
Vergeire said that national deaths show several peaks during the August to September period.

Data from DOH showed that in August the total deaths recorded was at 5,189 with 167 average number of deaths per day, Septembe-4,757 (159), and October (1-24 )-1,633 (68).

Measures
Vergeire, likewise, stressed the need to observe measures to sustain the decline in cases as the holiday season approaches and mobility is expected to increase.

These measures are:

Adhering to masking and physical distancing and avoiding 3Cs or closed spaces, crowded areas, and close contact activities is most important to prevent transmission.

Ramping up vaccination to protect vulnerable population especially of A2 and A3 priority groups.

Maintaining short detection-to-isolation time to control transmission as soon as possible.

Edited October 25, 2021 by Mike J

[graham59]

I'm sure somebody understands all that bollocks.  

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 hours ago, graham59 said:

I'm sure somebody understands all that bollocks.  

Seemed pretty straight forward to me and l have had nothing to drink. 

[scott h]

They should just come out and say that we will need a Jab every year until this bug burns itself out.

[Mike J]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

They should just come out and say that we will need a Jab every year until this bug burns itself out.

I will not be at all surprised if it starts being incorporated into the annual flu shot.

[Old55]

7 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Seemed pretty straight forward to me and l have had nothing to drink. 

Well it seems you have some work to do Tom. 

[Mike J]

21 hours ago, Old55 said:

Well it seems you have some work to do Tom. 

Tom can handle it, hang in there buddy. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Mike J

[Jollygoodfellow]

Govt to allow Sinovac recipients to choose any WHO-approved booster brand; guidelines likely out on Nov 15

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 27) — The government will allow those who completed their Sinovac doses to choose any brand as booster shot that will be approved by regulatory bodies, the country's vaccine czar said on Wednesday.

Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, told CNN Philippines' The Source that they are waiting for the approved amendment of the current emergency use authorization issued to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. The manufacturers are expected to submit their applications for the amended EUA of their boosters within the week.

Once approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization-Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (WHO-SAGE) will give its final recommendation by mid-November on which vaccine brand can be used for a third dose or mixed with the previous doses administered.

He said Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative to the Philippines, intimated to the task force that the final guidelines will be out "more or less" on Nov.15, and the government will execute it immediately.

"Uunahin po natin ang (We will prioritize the) health workers and immunocompromised at later na yung other priority sectors," Abyeasinghe said.

"We are still waiting for the guidance from WHO if we can give the heterologous or different brand considering that...healthcare workers (want to) choose their own vaccine," Galvez said.

Asked whether Sinovac recipients will be allowed to choose their booster shots, Galvez said he personally does not find any problem with this because the country has an abundance of vaccines like Sinovac, Pfizer and Moderna, with more supplies coming later this year.

"In case sabihin ng WHO-SAGE na Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik and even AstraZeneca are also viable doses for boosters, 'pag sinabi ng WHO na better ang mix-and-match, pwede nating i-deploy po yun," he said.

[Translation: In case WHO-SAGE approves Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik and even AstraZeneca as viable doses for boosters, once WHO says they can be applied under mix-and-match, we can deploy them.]

However, Galvez noted that the government will have to wait for WHO's final say to prevent "discrimination" of other brands.

The Health department recently approved the recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to give booster shots for healthcare workers and senior citizens six months after they complete the single- or two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, while immunocompromised patients can get additional shots at least 28 days after they complete their vaccination.

Mixing-and-matching of vaccine brands is allowed for Sinovac and AstraZeneca, the HTAC said. It added that those who completed their Sinovac shots should preferably be given Pfizer or AstraZeneca as their booster six months after completing their two doses.

Boosters are given to those whose COVID-19 immunity has waned over time after vaccination while a third dose is for those who did not generate a strong immune response following COVID-19 immunization.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/10/27/Sinovac-booster-any-brand-WHO-.html

[Old55]

A booster for Sinovac is a positive move. 

[GeoffH]

24 minutes ago, Old55 said:

A booster for Sinovac is a positive move. 

Are the Philippines using Sinopharm as well as Sinovac?  Or is the only Chinese vaccine Sinovac?

Sinopharm is basically the same technology as Astra Zeneca and has a similar efficacy.