Those who have missed their scheduled second dose of COVID-19 vaccination need not worry as they can still receive the shot as long as it is within the recommended interval period.
The Baguio City Health Services Office on Monday shared an infographic on Facebook detailing how long Filipinos can take their second dose of Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines.
For Sinovac’s CoronaVac, the recommended interval after the first dose is four weeks. If the individual missed the designated date for the second dose, he can immediately receive it on the succeeding days.
For Pfizer, the recommended interval after the first dose is three weeks. The individual can receive his second dose up to six weeks after the first one.
For Moderna, the recommended interval after the first dose is four weeks while the second dose can be received up to six weeks after the first one.
For AstraZeneca, the recommended interval after the first dose is four to 12 weeks while the second dose can be received up to 12 weeks after the first one.
For Sputnik V, the recommended interval after the first dose is three weeks while the second dose can be received up to 90 days after the first one.
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Second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines can only be administered on or before the recommended interval but not earlier than that period.
This means that one cannot take a second dose of Sinovac, for example, earlier than the recommended interval period of four weeks.
The health department previously said that it is okay for Filipinos to receive their second dose up to six months after their first jab amid various concerns.
These include getting exposed to COVID-19 positive patient or getting infected with COVID-19 virus before receiving their second dose and other personal circumstances that impede them from getting it on their scheduled date.
“Our vaccine experts are saying that in the existing list of vaccines that we have, three to six months is still acceptable to give the second dose without repeating the series,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a media forum last July 5.
“For Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, it (second dose) can be given for as long as 42 days while for Sputnik, it can be given up to 90 days,” she added.
Vergeire said that there is no specified number of days for Sinovac but it needs to be given to the individual as soon as possible.
The government aims to inoculate 50% to 60% of the population by November by focusing on Metro Manila to reach immediate protection.