The Philippines is ready to start its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination drive for its younger population aged five to 11 starting on Monday, Feb. 7.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines intended for the said age group were already distributed to the different pediatric vaccination sites, said DOH Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) Chairperson Myrna Cabotaje.

“Yes we are ready. Dispatched n[a] kahapon yung mga bakuna (The vaccines were already dispatched yesterday),” said Cabotaje in a text message on Sunday, Feb. 6.

“Handang handa na po yung ating mga piling-piling bakuna center para bakunahan [ang] mga anak ninyo (Our select vaccination centers are already prepared to vaccinate your children),” she added.

“Ang ibibigay na Pfizer na bakuna ay age-appropriate at binigyan ng EUA ng ating Phil[ippine] FDA [Food and Drug Administration] kaya sigurado tayo sa safety at efficacy/bisa nito (The Pfizer vaccine, that will be administered, is age-appropriate and was given an EUA by our Philippine FDA— so, we are confident in its safety and efficacy),” she furthered.

Pediatric groups support vaccination program

Both the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) expressed their support for the vaccination program for the said age group.

Children infected with COVID-19 may experience “serious consequences,” they said in a joint statement.

“COVID-19 disease directly affects children and may lead to serious consequences. Children five to 11 years of age are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is most frequent among children five to 11 years old,” the PPS and PIDSP said.

“Other post-COVID conditions have also been seen in this age group, including ‘Long COVID.’ Though majority of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 present with asymptomatic or mild disease, MISC-C and post-COVID conditions can and typically occur after asymptomatic or mild infection,” they added.

This is why it is important for these children to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the groups said.

“We therefore reiterate that vaccination is the best way to protect children from COVID-19 and its complications,” they said.

Philippine health experts have reviewed the safety and efficacy data of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, they assured.

“In the pivotal trial of the vaccine conducted among children ages five to 11 years, the vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious, having prevented 90.9 percent of symptomatic COVID-19. No serious adverse events nor deaths were found related to the vaccination,” they said.

The common side effects after vaccination include “pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache were mild and brief; these are a normal sign that the body is building protection,” they added.

Vaccination sites

The pilot vaccination sites in Metro Manila are: AMC Gym in Pateros; Marikina Sports Complex in Marikina City; SMX Convention Center in SM Aura and Lakeshore in Taguig City; Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, SM North Edsa Skydome, and QC Memorial Circle in Quezon City; Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center and Manila Zoo in the City of Manila; SM Makati and Nemesio I Yabut Elementary School in Makati City; Medical Center Muntinlupa and Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Muntinlupa City; SM Sucat and Ayala Mall by the Bay in Paranaque City; T. Paez Elementary School and MOA Activity Center in Pasay City.

The other vaccination sites in Metro Manila include Caloocan Sports Complex, Caloocan City North Medical Center, and Bagong Silang Elementary School in North Caloocan; Caloocan City South Medical Center and SM Grand Central in South Caloocan; Oreta Sports Complex and Robinsons Town Hall in Malabon City; Navotas City Hospital and Tumana Health Center in Navotas City; VCEH Astrodome and Pasolo Health Center in Valenzuela City; Buting Elementary School and Manggahan Elementary School in Pasig City; Podium Hall and Addition Hills Integrated School in Mandaluyong City; Fil-Oil Gym in San Juan City; and Robinsons Mall, The Tenth Villar Sipag, and SM Center Las Pinas in Las Pinas City.

In Calabarzon, the Batangas Medical Center in Batangas and Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor, Cavite will serve as inoculation sites on Feb. 7. On Feb. 9, the Skyranch in Tagaytay, Cavite will open as a vaccination site.

Vaccination centers in Central Luzon will operate on Feb. 9. These are Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga; Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos, Bulacan; Tarlac Provincial Hospital in Tarlac; Bataan General Hospital in Balanga, Bataan; and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Nueva Ecija.

In Mindanao, the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City, Maguindanao will serve as a vaccination site starting Feb. 7. Meanwhile, the vaccination centers in other regions will open on Feb. 14.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Analou de Vera

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