MANILA, Philippines – The nationwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccination among children will begin on Nov. 3, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
In a statement, the DOH said it will implement the national rollout for minors aged 12 to 17 years old with co-morbidity with the government’s vaccine cluster.
“Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will still be used among children during the nationwide rollout,” said DOH Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.
“Further details and the guidelines with regard to the nationwide expansion of pediatric vaccination will be released once finalized,” she added.
The DOH said that as of Oct. 26, a total of 18,666 minors with comorbidities received their first dose of vaccine during the initial phase of the pediatric vaccination in the NCR.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there are around 12.7 million children aged 12 to 17 in 2021.
Meanwhile, the DOH continues to urge the adult population, especially those belonging to priority groups A2 and A3, to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to achieve the cocoon effect, which protects the children at home.
The department further emphasized that “choosing to get vaccinated will not only protect the person itself but also those around, along with the strict and religious adherence to minimum public health standards and other preventive measures implemented.”
The National Task Force against COVID-19 earlier said that the national government aims to complete the vaccination of children within this age group by December.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez also said that vaccinating children against coronavirus disease will also be instrumental in the reopening of face-to-face classes and ‘ancillary businesses’ related to the education sector.
He also said that allowing children to have “leeway to move around and play” will not just help in protecting the mental well-being of minors, but also revive economic activities especially this holiday season.
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