A health worker prepares a dose of the BioNtech Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination drive in Manila. File photo AFP
MANILA, Philippines — The government has so far vaccinated 3,416 children aged 12 to 17 with comorbidities, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
“As of October 19, ang ating mga kabataang may comorbidities na nabakunahan na ay 3,416,” DOH Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview over ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(As of October 19, we have already vaccinated 3,416 minors with comorbidities.)
The pilot run of pediatric vaccination started on October 15 in eight hospitals in Metro Manila, namely, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Pasig City Children’s Hospital, Fe Del Mundo Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital-Global City, and the Makati Medical Center.
On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government will soon expand the vaccination of minors to 13 more hospitals in the capital region.
“Nagpaplano na po ngayon para ma-expand pa natin itong mga hospital na ating pinag-umpisahan para mas marami po tayong mga kabataang mabakunahan pa,” Vergeire also said.
(We are now planning to expand the vaccination to other hospitals so that we can vaccinate more minors.)
The DOH earlier said that children with the following comorbidities are eligible for vaccination: medical complexity or those with long term dependence on technical support; genetic conditions; neurologic conditions; metabolic or endocrine diseases; cardiovascular diseases; obesity; HIV infection; tuberculosis; chronic respiratory diseases; renal disorders; hepatobiliary diseases; and those who are immunocompromised due to disease or treatment.
Only COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer are currently being used in pediatric vaccination since these are the only vaccines so far approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children aged 12 to 17.