DOST open to conduct study on COVID-19 vaccine effects among youth

MANILA, Philippines — A study on the effects of the COVID-19 vaccines on the youth may be conducted in the Philippines, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) official said Thursday.

While there are already ongoing clinical trials abroad, DOST Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director Jaime Montoya said they may also conduct one on Filipino children depending on the decision of the Department of Health (DOH) and the COVID-19 task force.

“Kami po ay open na kung kinakailangan ay pag-aralan din ito para makita natin kung ang response po ba ng ibang bansa ay katulad rin po ng mga Pilipino, kapag binakunahan ang ating mga kabataan,” Montoya said in a televised briefing.

(We are open if there is a need to study this so we can see if the response in other countries is the same with Filipinos once the youth is vaccinated.)

“So pwede po natin gawin yan kung yan po ay dedesisyunan ng ating Department of Health at IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases], kung kailangan po itong gawin,” he added.

(We can do this if it is decided by the Department of Health and the IATF that we should conduct the study.)

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use on persons aged 12 to 15 in the country.

Even so, the DOH said the country’s current vaccine prioritization will still be followed.

JE