MANILA, Philippnes — The Department of Health (DOH) is readying the guidelines to start giving COVID-19 booster shots to teenagers aged 12 to 17.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has approved the recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), an independent advisory body, to give teens aged 12 to 17 another vaccine dose after the usual two-dose primary series, to boost protection against COVID-19.

“The guidelines are being drafted already by the DOH,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday.COVID-19 booster shots are already available to adults or those aged 18 and older. However, only 14.7 million out of the 70 million fully vaccinated individuals, including minors, have availed of booster shots.

A second booster shot, usually a fourth vaccine dose, has recently been made available to healthcare workers, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.

Front-line health workers and individuals 60 years old and above can take their second booster shot four months after their first booster shot, while immunocompromised individuals have to wait for at least three months after their first booster shot.

According to the National Vaccination Operations Center, 70,032,274 individuals have received their full primary doses as of June 17.

These include 9,487,745 minors who are 12 to 17 years old, and 3,217,367 children aged 5 to 11. Meanwhile, 8,721,357 elderly people have been fully vaccinated.

They comprise 78 percent of the target 90 million population to be vaccinated.