Minors ages 12 to 17 years old who have been vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots can now get boosted.
The Department of Health on Monday, August 15 released a table matrix of the appropriate COVID-19 booster shots for minors within this age group.
In the table matrix, minors from 12 to 17 years old with the primary series of Pfizer and Moderna can receive booster or additional shots from Pfizer.
Minors who are immunocompromised shall receive an additional shot of Pfizer within 28 after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, those who are not immunocompromised shall receive Pfizer booster shots within five months after the second dose of the vaccine.
Additional or booster shots for younger children from five to 11 years old who have been administered with the Pfizer series are still not yet being implemented.
In the same post, DOH also clarified the difference between an additional dose and a booster dose.
An additional dose is still part of the “extended” primary series of vaccines for individuals with a weakened immune system.
“Additional dose ay binibigay sa immunocompromised para palakasin ang immune response para masiguradong protektado ang tao mula sa sakit,” the health department said.
The latter, meanwhile, refers to the dose after the primary series of vaccines.
“Samantala, ang booster shots ay binibigay sa mga taong nakumpleto na ang kanilang primary series pagkatapos ng ilang buwan,” DOH said.
Parents whose children meet the classifications mentioned in the matrix are advised to coordinate with health facilities and hospitals for immunocompromised patients or their respective local government units to schedule their appointments.
Documents to bring are as follows:
- Dokumento na nagpapatunay ng relasyon sa babakunahang bata
- Valid ID o mga dokumentong may litrato ng magulang o guardian at ng batang babakunahan
- Vaccination card na kumpleto ang detalye ng primary series sa mga edad 12 to 17 na kukuha ng additional/booster dose.
DOH further noted that the parents or guardians of the minors to be inoculated should be present at the vaccination site.
Here are the guidelines for parents or guardians regarding the minors’ vaccination program against COVID-19:
As of August 16, DOH logged 2,633 additional COVID-19 cases bringing the total cases to 3,838,062.
Of these, 36,190 are active cases, 3,740,745 are recoveries while there are 61,127 recorded COVID-19 deaths.
Amid these relatively low numbers, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorized the Philippines as a level 3 or a high-level COVID-19 destination for overseas travelers.
This travel notice means that the country has had a high case count per 100,000 population for the last 28 days.
Travelers are advised to keep up-to-date with their COVID-19 jabs before traveling to the Philippines.
Those with a weakened immune system or at risk for severe disease are also advised to talk to their clinicians before going here.
