By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental provincial government is still awaiting for the guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH) with regards to the distribution of COVID-19 booster shots for frontline healthcare workers.

Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said even though the DOH has already given the go ahead to begin, but as of yesterday they have not received the official guidelines yet.

Diaz said they have no problems with the frontline healthcare workers, pointing out they are very eager to get the booster shots in order to further reduce the possibility of contracting or falling seriously ill with COVID-19.

However, he pointed out priority will still be given to those who have yet to receive the vaccine as what is more important for the province at the moment is to achieve herd immunity.

“Kung ready na ang guidelines sa [November 17] then sige-sige na, ang aton mga hospitals gintagaan naman supply sang bakuna,” Diaz said.

As per recommendation, they could use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines as a booster shot, he added.

Based on an advisory released by the DOH on Monday, all fully-vaccinated healthcare workers may start availing of the booster doses today.

Among the vaccines that are allowed to be used as booster shots are Pfizer, Moderna, and Sinovac.

However, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday said the recommendations of the World Health Organization on booster shots and additional doses will be delayed by one to two weeks.

Duque said the recommendations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts were supposed to be released tomorrow, November 18.

“Originally, itong November 18 pero mukhang maantala daw ng isang linggo o dalawang linggo,” Duque said. “Sabi kong ganon baka hindi na natin pwedeng antayin pa. Kung makapag rollout na tayo depending sa magiging advise ng ating All Experts Group, so aantayin natin ‘yan.”/DGB, WDJ