Fact-checked by: Lorelyn Centino
Red Bullets:
Claim: A news report states that the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public against getting COVID-19 booster shots yet to be approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Rating: Partly False (Missing Context)
The truth: The news report shown in the video was aired by GMA News on Nov. 12, 2021, three days prior to the amendment issued by the FDA authorizing the administration of COVID-19 booster shots to specific populations.
Why fact-check: It aggravates vaccine hesitancy and mistrust among Filipinos at a time when health authorities are doubling their efforts for nationwide vaccination due to the Omicron-driven surge of COVID-19 cases. The post also immediately went viral and because it is misleading, it could only exacerbate the negative perception of the public towards COVID-19 vaccines.
Red Totality:
On Jan. 7, 2022, a Facebook user named Glaiza Rodriguez posted a video showing a clip of a GMA news report where the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public against the unauthorized administration of COVID-19 booster shots in the country. The video was edited to include the text: “Hala! Madami na nagpaBooster Shot.”. The post was also captioned, “Naku po🥺🥺🥺.''
The post instantly went viral. It is continuously gaining interactions, surpassing 2.5 million views, 8,000 reactions and 155,000 shares as of January 10, 2021. The post was taken down the day after.
In the news report by Bernadette Reyes lifted from GMA’s 24 Oras, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire was quoted saying that the government would not be accountable for “untoward reactions” experienced by people who received the COVID-19 booster shots that were not approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Facebook post is partly false and missing context. The news report shown in the video is outdated.
The news report,which can be reviewed on GMA News YouTube channel, was aired on Nov. 12, 2021. At the time the report aired, the FDA was still in the process of examining the applications of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Sputnik V for the amended Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 booster shots.
The EUA is only granted for vaccines to be used in a public health emergency once they passed the evaluation of the Center for Drug Regulation and Research and the Director General of the FDA, given that all necessary requirements and conditions for safety and efficacy were met as stated in FDA Circular No. 2020-036.
Three days after the broadcast, the FDA approved the administration of four COVID-19 vaccines as booster shots, namely: Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac. This was also stated in the DOH memorandum released on Nov. 19, 2021.
Following the FDA approval, the DOH started administering booster shots to fully vaccinated healthcare workers on Nov. 17 and to fully vaccinated adults on Dec. 3.
COVID-19 booster shots demonstrated increased protection against the coronavirus and the prevention of severe cases and death from COVID-19, according to studies cited by the World Health Organization.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public that authorized boosters would be safe and effective. “Dahil nga meron na tayong emergency authorization use amendment na ginawa ng FDA, at least ngayon nakakasiguro tayo na ligtas at epektibo ang ating booster dose policy,” Duque said in a live broadcast during the first day of booster rollout for healthcare workers at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.
In addition, any incident of “vaccine product-related reaction” or “vaccine quality-defect reaction” connected to COVID-19 vaccines, including hospitalization, permanent disability and death, shall be compensated as stated in PhilHealth Circular 2021-0007.
As of Jan. 19, the DOH registered more than 5.8 million booster doses.
References:
Department of Health, “Department Memorandum No. 2021-0492,” November 19, 2021
Department of Health, “National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard,” January 9, 2022
Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Circular No. 2020-036 || Guidelines on the Issuance of Emergency Use Authorization for Drugs and Vaccines for COVID-19”
GMA News, “Babala ng DOH sa mga nagpa-COVID vaccine booster shot: Hindi accountable ang gobyerno sakaling magkaroon ng untoward reactions,” November 12, 2021
Inquirer, “Health workers get first crack at COVID-19 booster shots,” November 17, 2021
PhilHealth, “PhilHealth Circular 2021-0007,” June 17, 2021
News5, “LIVE | Nagsimula na ang booster rollout ng COVID-19 vaccine sa National Kidney and Transplant Institute,” November 17, 2021
Philippine News Agency, “FDA approves 4 Covid-19 vax brands as booster shots,” November 16, 2021
Philippine News Agency, “Fully vaxxed adults may get boosters starting Dec. 3: DOH,” December 2, 2021
Philippine News Agency, “PH healthcare workers get Covid-19 booster shots,” November 17, 2021
World Health Organization, “Interim statement on booster doses for COVID-19 vaccination,” December 22, 2021
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