MANILA — The Philippines' drug regulator said Tuesday it approved the use of four vaccine brands as third or booster shots against COVID-19.

The Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization of the following vaccine brands to include an additional shot, FDA chief Eric Domingo said in a taped meeting with officials that aired on Tuesday.

• Pfizer
• AstraZeneca
• Sinovac
• Sputnik Light

"Iyon pong Pfizer ay na-approve natin as a homologous additional third dose, ibig pong sabihin kapag naka-2 Pfizer, after 6 months maaari pong magbigay ng isa pa. Iyong AstraZeneca ay approved din po as a homologous third dose, ganoon din po ang Sinovac," said Domingo.

(We approved Pfizer as a homologous additional third dose, meaning 6 months after the second dose, another can be given. AstraZeneca was also approved as a homologous third dose, like Sinovac.)

He said the FDA authorized the single-shot Sputnik Light "as a heterologous booster."

"Ibig pong sabihin maaari po siyang ibigay na pangatlong dose sa mga pasyente na nakatanggap ng ibang bakuna," said the FDA chief.

(This means it can be given as a third dose to a patient that received a different vaccine.)

Domingo said authorities approved booster shots for 3 groups, namely, health workers with frequent COVID-19 exposure, immunocompromised individuals, and senior citizens with comorbidities.

• Health workers can get COVID booster shots starting Nov. 17

The Philippines has so far fully immunized some 31.8 million of its 109 million population.

• Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

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Video courtesy of PTV