(FILE) Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. inspects pediatric vaccination at the Hiyas Convention Center in Malolos, Bulacan. (Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — The San Juan City government is set to open the registration for the COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 5 to 11.
An advisory from the local government unit on Sunday said Mayor Francis Zamora will announce the opening of the registration for the said age group on Monday.
“They have already rolled out the vaccination in other countries and we are hopeful that the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) and DOH (Department of Health) will soon come up with its protocols and by the time that they give the go signal, we want to be ready to roll out our vaccination right away,” Zamora aid.
“We are being proactive to protect the children especially since they are allowed to go out in public and face-to-face classes are slowly being implemented,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zamora also urged Sana Juan City residents who have yet to get their booster shots to register in the city’s vaccine registration portal.
Other local governments in Metro Manila, including Taguig City, the municipality of Pateros, and Manila, are also encouraging parents and guardians to register children aged 5 to 11 for the COVID-19 vaccination.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for the vaccination of children in the said age group. However, the DOH clarified that COVID-19 vaccination for this population has not yet started. At present, pediatric vaccination is only for minors aged 12 to 17.
“Preparations are still underway for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines for the said age group. The National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center will announce the exact start date as soon as COVID-19 vaccines suitable for ages 5 to 11 and its appropriate syringes become available,” the DOH said.
“While waiting for COVID-19 vaccines to be rolled out for this pediatric group, we recommend that children complete their routine vaccination to be protected from more contagious and fatal diseases, like measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria,” the health department added.