MANILA - Getting infected with COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated gives a "natural boosting response," the chairperson of the country's vaccine expert panel said Wednesday.

The booster depends on the severity of the illness, according to Dr. Nina Gloriani.

"After breakthrough infection meron kayong natural boosting response
that can stay, depende sa tao pero nabu-boost pa rin. Kung severe at gumaling, mas mataas ang level of immunity," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(After breakthrough infection, one can receive a natural boosting response that can stay. If a person recovered from severe disease, they will receive a higher level of immunity.)

Taking antibody tests to check one's immunity is recommended only to "moderately to severe immunocompromised" individuals, Gloriani said. These individuals must be medically stable before inoculated, she added.

Those who suspect they have COVID-19 during their vaccination can still get immunity later on, according to the jab expert.

"Lahat ng bakuna natin ay safe at 'di magko-cause ng COVID at kung nagka-COVID hindi dahil dun, di naman magiging worse yun," she said.

(All of our vaccines are safe and does not cause COVID. If a person gets infected, it's not through the vaccine. It will also not worsen the infection.)

"Hindi yan buhay na virus, actually baka magsama ang dalawa, magkakaroon siya ng immunity later."

(It's not a live virus, the two may actually combine and the person will get immunity later.)

It is also normal that some individuals do not experience side effects after getting vaccinated, Gloriani added.

The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 55.6 million individuals, while 59 million have received an initial dose and 5.13 million booster shots have been administered as of Monday, according to Department of Health data.