Olongapo City prepares for vaccination of children aged 12-17

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines — The city’s inter-agency task force is planning to open another vaccine site here that will exclusively accommodate children aged 12 to 17, officials said Saturday. It will be the third vaccine site in the city, which has been ramping up its vaccine rollout to achieve herd immunity at an early time, according to the city health office (CHO). At least 182,000 of the city’s 260,000-population are being targeted for the mass vaccination to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19. The preparation for the third vaccine site is already underway and will be ready as soon as the government starts to include children in the priority list of eligible vaccine recipients. Health authorities said children are among the most vulnerable sectors, which require a separate vaccination venue to prevent the possible spread of infection. The online vaccine registration for eligible children is also being prepared, the CHO said. So far, the city has already vaccinated a total of 76,385 residents belonging to the A1 to A5 categories (healthcare workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, essential workers, and indigent residents. Of this figure, at least 24,122 were already fully vaccinated.

/MUF