The Department of Health (DOH) has given health workers or those belonging to priority group A1 the opportunity to choose the COVID-19 vaccine brand for their booster shot, as released by their official Memorandum Order No. 0484 this Wednesday, Nov. 17.
“The priority group A1 may choose to receive the same brand as his/her primary series (homologous booster) or another brand (heterogenous booster),” the DOH said. According to the guidelines, a heterogeneous strategy is more effective for the immunocompromised.
A fully vaccinated health worker can only receive one booster dose, which will only be given at least six months after they received their first two doses. For those that received the single-shot Janssen vaccine, boosters will be given three months after the shot.
Medical frontliners need to inform the vaccination site of their chosen brand before the vaccination proper in order to ensure an accurate preparation and smooth execution for the 3rd jab.
The memorandum details the operational guidelines on administering booster shots including the recommended brands based on the first 2 doses taken. The DOH recommends that those who received AstraZeneca for their first series take Moderna or Pfizer as their booster shot. “Vector-based vaccines (e.g. AstraZeneca) are recommended to be boosted with a different vaccine platform due to the theoretical possibility of pre-existing immunity attenuating or weakening the immune response on the second or third dose,” the document states.
However, there is no strict rule that dictates which booster to get. Those who had AstraZeneca for their first two doses may receive the same brand as their booster, but this must be used with precaution based on the emergency use authorization granted by the Food and Drug Administration.
The DOH recommends the following pairings for heterogeneous boosters:
6-month interval:
SInovac: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna
AstraZeneca: Pfizer, Moderna
Pfizer: AstraZeneca, Moderna
Moderna: AstraZeneca, Pfizer
Sputnik V: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna
3-month interval:
Janssen: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna
(By: Bianca Floirendo)