Filipinos are now being urged to take booster shots amid the detection of new Omicron subvariants XBB ans XBC in the country.
Philippine vaccine expert panel head Nini Gloriani said that the public to get the available vaccines now, instead of waiting for the “bivalent” jabs.
The jabs being developed aim to target both the original strain and omicron subvariants of the virus.
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“Doon sa booster, kung ano po ang meron tayo, wag nating hintayin yung tinatawag na bivalent. Kung dumating then fine, ano po, pero kung ano yung meron ngayon, importante na makapagbooster ang marami kasi nga nakakataas yun ng proteksyon natin, yung level ng protection, even against the variants,” Gloriani said.
Experts said that current vaccines are still effective against severe diseases.
“Importante po na maiangat ulit natin yung level ng proteksyon natin, nakakatulong po yung booster. Talaga, makikita natin ang datos nito, hindi lang sa pagtaas nung ating mga antibodies, kundi yung T-cells na tinatawag natin na siyang mass effective against severe form, especially ng COVID,” she said.
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Infectious diseases expert Rontgene Solante said that the new variants were detected in areas with low vaccination rate.
“So that’s already a sign na, pag mababa ang boostered population, there’s always a higher risk na tataas ang kaso, at mataas yung mga mutated COVID virus, doon mag-uumpisa,” Solante said.
Solante said the new variants drive new cases in Singapore.
“This is not something na dapat kumpiyansa natin dahil ang boostered population ng Pilipinas is very low ‘no, so expected ang, most likely tataas ang mga kaso in the next weeks ‘no, kaya talagang, paigtingin pa rin natin ang pagbabakuna especially retaining the booster doses, And of course, yung wearing of face masks,” he said.
