A4 group may get boosters starting December 10 - Galvez

CEBU, Philippines —  After the healthcare workers, seniors, and the immunocompromised individuals, booster shots for government and economic frontliners or those under A4 category may already begin on December 10, 2021, according to the country’s vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., yesterday.

With enough stockpile, Galvez said, booster shots are ready for the next priority group.

“Mayroong apat na milestones. First milestone natin, makuha ang 54 million before end of the year, and maybe we can start the boosters more or less by December 10. Mag-start ng A4 lalo na yung nag-lapse na ng more than six months,” said Galvez.

Hence, those who have already been vaccinated and fully vaccinated from March to June of 2021, including the A4 workers, may soon already get the boosters.

Galvez also said that privately-procured vaccines may also be used as boosters starting next month.

However, though the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has already set the timeline, Galvez said that this is still subject to the go signal of the Food and Drugs Administration. Currently, the booster shots given a go by the FDA are only for those under the A1 to A3 priorities.

On why not everyone can get the boosters at once, the vaccine czar also explained that even other countries are following the “hierarchy of prioritization” and the boosters there are also not readily given to the general population.

Galvez hopes that the country can finish administering booster shots for health workers, the elderly, and people with comorbidities by the end of this year.

Aside from that, the national government also aims to complete the teachers' vaccination and for learners 12 to 17 ahead of the reopening of expanded face-to-face classes next year. — JMD (FREEMAN)