As the issuance of bivalent vaccines for COVID-19 is going on nationwide, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa announced that the said vaccines are effective against the newest Omicron subvariant FE.1, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines remain to be an effective tool to protect people against the recently detected Omicron subvariant FE.1, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Wednesday.
During the rollout of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines, the newly appointed chief of the Department of Health (DOH) was asked if the bivalent jabs are also effective against the FE.1, which is a sublineage of the Omicron XBB subvariant.
“Yes. Generally, because this is still Omicron and nilagay na ‘yung Omicron doon sa bivalent vaccine, meron nang cross immunity ‘yan kasi ‘yung mga antigens pareho lang even if it’s a different subvariant. Hindi mahihinto ‘yan,” Herbosa said.
(Yes. Generally, because this FE.1 is still Omicron, and the Omicron has been put in the bivalent vaccine. There is already cross immunity because the antigens are the same even if it’s a different subvariant. It won’t stop.)
The first case of FE.1 or XBB.1.18.1.1 was found in the genome sequencing conducted on May 29 to June 12, 2023, based on DOH’s latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report.
The DOH said FE.1 was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on June 1, 2023, and was initially flagged “for its increasing global prevalence,” being detected in 35 countries so far.
The agency, however, stressed that currently available evidence for the subvariant does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original Omicron variant.
While admitting that he is yet to familiarize with the characteristics of the FE.1, Herbosa said it may also exhibit the same symptoms as those with other Omicron subvariants.
“If you have upper respiratory symptoms [like] sipon, sore throat, ubo, ‘yan ang most common. Occasionally, kagaya sa Arcturus, meron sore eyes. Itong FE.1 I don’t know if ‘yun o pareho lang. Ma-identify dapat ng genetic studies,” he added.
(If you have upper respiratory symptoms like cold, sore throat, and cough, those are the most common symptoms. Occasionally, like Arcturus, there could be sore eyes. I don’t know if it’s the same with FE.1. It should be identified by genetic studies.)
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Did anyone from your local community avail of the bivalent vaccine? Does your local government have bivalent vaccines already?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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