Young children were treated to clowns and magic shows during a pediatric vaccination at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Image courtesy of PCMC
MANILA, Philippines — The government is expecting 10 million doses of reformulated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for minors aged five to 11, which are slated to arrive in the country by the second quarter of the year.
“For this month, we’re expecting a total of five million. So, kung tutuusin mga 2.5 [million] o a little more na pwedeng mabakunahan this month of February,” Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said on Thursday’s Laging Handa public briefing.
(So, we can immunize 2.5 million or a little more for this month of February.)
“Tapos dadating na naman ang another, sa second quarter ‘no, mga 10 million are arriving in the second quarter pero iba-iba ‘yung kapasidad kada delivery or shipment,” she added.
(Then, around 10 million are arriving in the second quarter with different capacities per delivery or shipment.)
To date, three batches of deliveries, which carried 780,000 reformulated doses each, have arrived in the country.
Cabotaje noted that the vaccination for the said age group is supply-dependent.
“Ipa-pace natin. ‘Yung second dose nila, after 21 days. So, ang ating instruction, magtabi ng pangalawang dose sa mga batang nabigyan ng first dose,” she shared.
(We will pace it. Their second dose will be administered after 21 days. So, we instructed them to set aside second doses for those who received their first dose.)
Based on the Department of Health’s latest data, 263,000 children aged five to 11 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Of the figure, eight have experienced non-serious adverse events such as itchy throat, vomiting, and chills.
The pilot run of the COVID vaccination for the said age group kicked off on February 7 while it was rolled out nationwide on February 14.