Nearly 10,000 minors aged 5 to 11 jabbed on 1st day of vax drive

FILE PHOTO: Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly 10,000 minors aged five to 11 were jabbed on the first day of the initial rollout of COVID-19 vaccination for children within the said age group on Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

“Maganda naman ang naging lagay ng bakunahan sa ating mga kabataan, five to 11 years old kahapon, Mayroon tayong 32 sites kung saan 9,784 na mga bata ang nabakunahan natin kahapon,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(Vaccination for children aged five to 11 was done well. We have 32 pilot sites where 9,784 children were vaccinated yesterday.)

Vergeire said there was only one case of adverse reaction following immunization recorded among those vaccinated.

“Isa lang na reaction ang ating na-observe. Ito po ay isang bata na 11 years old, nagpantal po ang kanyang braso, minanage po doon sa vaccination site at nakauwi rin pagkatapos. Bukod po doon, lahat ng mga kabataang nabigyan ay hindi naman nagkaroon ng mga reaction,” she added.

(We have only observed one adverse reaction. This was from an 11-year-old child who had rashes on his arm. His case was managed at the vaccination site and he was sent home afterwards. Aside from that, all children did not show an adverse reaction.)

The DOH earlier said it is targeting to vaccinate over 15 million children aged five to 11.

“Ngayon naguumpisa pa lang po tayo sa ilang piling lugar. I-e-expand po natin (We are starting vaccination in select sites. We will expand it) in the coming days. We are ready to expand, so hopefully in about two months to three months, we will be able to achieve our target,” said Vergeire.

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