DOH to push through with pediatric vaccination despite court petition

Facade of the DOH main office in Manila. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday acknowledged the petition filed by parents to prohibit the agency from vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19, but added that it has no plans to discontinue its immunization program in order to “protect all sections of society.”

“We recognize their right to file a case, and we will wait for the legal process to take its course,” said the DOH in a statement.

“However, as far as the national government is concerned, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect all sectors of society, which include children and other vulnerable groups. As such, we will proceed with the vaccination rollout for the said age group as planned,” it added.

This came after some parents filed a petition before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to stop the DOH from vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19.

The health department, however, reiterated that the plan to inoculate children with ages ranging from five to 11 is the result of careful study by health experts and has been approved in many countries, including the US, which according to the DOH, “has one of the most stringent regulatory bodies in the world.”

It also noted that all FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective, adding that over 8.1 million children have already been vaccinated worldwide with no reports of deaths and serious adverse events among those vaccinated.

“Moreover, it is worth noting that there have been no adverse events recorded among the over 9 million individuals from the 12 to 17 age group who have been vaccinated with at least one dose, since their vaccination rollout began in October of last year,” the DOH said.

Over 100,000 pre-registrations of vaccination rollout for the latest pediatric vaccination effort have so far been recorded — signifying the willingness and confidence of parents to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19, said the DOH.

The said pediatric vaccination drive was supposed to start on Friday, Feb. 4, but was earlier postponed to Feb. 7, following the department’s plan to ensure “adequate preparation and distribution” of Pfizer vaccines.

Only Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has so far been given emergency use authorization for children with age ranging from five to 11 and will also contain a lower dosage compared to those given to older age groups.

“Vaccinating them is crucial to achieve our goal of protecting all members of the Filipino family,” said the DOH.

“This will enable us to continue the safe reopening of schools and other public spaces, as well as ensure the full economic recovery of our nation,” it added.

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