Healthcare workers from different health institutions in San Juan City receive the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine at the FilOil EcoOil Centre. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag on Tuesday sought to clarify the sectors covered by the rollout of the free bivalent COVID vaccines in the Philippines after the health department announced that the modified jabs can now be used as initial boosters.
Tayag said that many are asking if the bivalent vaccines are now available to the general population. Bivalent vaccines offer better protection against COVID-19 because they target both the original and omicron strains of the virus.
"Ito ay hindi para sa general population. Marami kasing nagtatanong sa amin kung puwede na 'yun sa general population lalo na 'yung nagtatrabaho po," he told a media briefing.
(This is not for the general population. Many people ask us if it is now available for the general population, especially those who work.)
The bivalent jabs are still prioritized for frontline health workers, senior citizens, and the immunocompromised, he said. These sectors, Tayag stressed, can now use the bivalent vaccine not just as a third booster but also as a first or second booster.
"Sa mga kababayan natin na hindi kasama sa 3 category means hindi po namin nirerekomenda na kayo'y mabigyan ng ganitong bakuna," he said.
(To those who are not included in the 3 categories, it means we do not recommend that you be given this vaccine.)
The bivalent jabs were recommended to the 3 priority sectors only as a third booster until the announcement of the health agency last week.
Tayag reported that as of August 14, over 269,000 shots of bivalent vaccines have been administered to the sectors. This is 69 percent of the total 390,000 donated bivalent vaccines.
All of the remaining modified vaccines could be used up by the end of August or early September, he said, as the Philippines expects the arrival of more donated bivalent jabs.