Pediatric COVID-19 vaccination to start with kids age 12-17 with comorbidity

FILE PHOTO: Syringes containing Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

MANILA, Philippines — Pediatric COVID-19 vaccination will begin with children aged 12-17 who have comorbidity as part of the A3 group, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

The DOH said in a statement that the “expansion beyond this group will follow once adequate coverage of the A2 priority group or senior citizens has been achieved nationwide and vaccine supply becomes sufficient to include children.”

It then noted that the risk of having severe COVID-19 is lower for healthy children.

“For the initial run, we recommend that children with co-morbidities will be vaccinated in selected sites with clearance from their pediatricians or trained doctors, or for far-flung or Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas, with clearance from on-site trained physicians guided by a checklist from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

“We have to ensure that children have equitable access to vaccines. Eventually, as we get more local experience, we will be able to retool our current vaccinators on the additional precautionary steps on screening and vaccine administration,” she added.

The DOH said there should be informed consent from parents or guardians of the children prior to vaccination.

Before the DOH’s announcement, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr has proposed the inoculation of 12- to 17-year-olds in October, citing improving vaccine supply and parents’ concerns on the safety of their children against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

READ: Vaxxing minors: DOH doing survey; Galvez pushes October start