Using hospitals as vaccination hubs for kids a wrong move, says Rep. Garin

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin on Wednesday questioned the use of hospitals as vaccination hubs for children, saying that these minors are being put in danger of getting COVID-19 by bringing them closer to the hotbed of infection.

“First, the hospitals as we have known is one of the major petri dishes of the COVID transmission,” Garin said over CNN Philippines, noting that a hospital is usually an enclosed area that is conducive for virus transmission.

“I really don’t see the logic why we have to unnecessarily expose our teenagers especially those with comorbidities in a hospital setting,” she added.

Garin said children should be inoculated in the existing vaccination centers instead.

The Department of Health (DOH) was reached for comment, but health officials are yet to respond as of posting.

The government began the vaccination of minors and children with comorbidities in eight hospitals on Friday.

To date, more than 3,400 minors with underlying conditions receive their jab against COVID-19, according to DOH.

The initial 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.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said the government will soon expand the vaccination of minors to 13 more hospitals in Metro Manila.

JPV