COVID-19 vaccination of children may happen after 2021 — Nograles

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 vaccination of children or those aged under 18 years may happen next year as the government is focused on inoculating adults up to December 2021, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Monday.

He said the government is aiming to achieve population protection and herd immunity among Filipino adults this year.

“Tingnan muna natin, maybe that [vaccination of children] will come after 2021 kasi ang focus pa rin natin ngayon is the adult population all the way up to December 2021 kasi para ma-achieve natin ‘yung population protection at herd immunity,” he said in an interview at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City before the President’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).

(We should first see. Maybe that will come after 2021 because our focus for now is the adult population all the way up to December 2021 so that we can achieve population protection and herd immunity.)

So far, the US-made vaccine Pfizer has secured an authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its use on individuals aged 12 to 15 years.

Meanwhile, Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech has applied for an authorization to use its COVID-19 vaccines ages three to 17 years old.

“By next year 2022, if all goes well at nabigyan ng approval ng FDA ‘yung mga ibang brands para sa children under 18 then timing na rin ‘yun, we will be able to procure fresh doses for 2022,” Nograles said.

(By next year 2022, if all goes well and other brands have been granted an emergency use authorization for children, then we will be able to procure fresh doses for 2022.)

“And by that time, we can already apply that, if ever, sa mga children na below 18 years old,” he added.

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