MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 vaccination for children from ages five to 11 will be held in six sites in Metro Manila, Malacañang said on Monday.
The immunization of the age group against COVID-19 will begin on February 4.
READ: Kids aged 5 to 11 can start getting Pfizer shots on Feb. 4
During the kick-off, six sites will be used for rollout, and these are:
• Philippine Heart Center
• Philippine Children’s Medical Center
• National Children’s Hospital
• Manila Zoo
• SM North Edsa (Skydome)
• Fil Oil Gym (San Juan City)
READ: Manila Zoo to be used as venue for vaccination of kids aged 5 to 11
To date, only Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is given an emergency use authorization for the use of five- to 11-year olds.
The government is expecting the procured doses to arrive within the week.
“Inaasahan din ang pagdating ngayong linggo ng Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines na binili ng ating pamahalaan. Dahil ito ay reformulated, ito ay sadyang binili upang ekslusibong gamitin para sa pagbabakuna ng mga bata na nasa edad lima hanggang 11 taong gulang lamang,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said during the Palace press briefing.
(We expect the arrival of government-procured Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines this week. Since this is reformulated, this is bought to be administered exclusively for kids aged five to 11 only.)
Nograles, the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, noted the importance of vaccination in preparation for in-person classes.
“Mahalaga po ito sa ating paghahanda sa muling pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes o pisikal na balik-eskwela,” he said.
(This is vital in our preparation for the return of face-to-face classes or physical learning.)
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the expansion of limited face-to-face classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2.
READ: Duterte OKs expansion of limited in-person classes in areas under Alert Level 1, 2
According to the Department of Health, over 168,000 children in the said age group have been registered for COVID-19 vaccination.
READ: 168,000 minors listed to get COVID-19 vaccination starting Feb. 4 – DOH
READ: FDA okays use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children 5-11 years old