COVID-19 vaccination of general population, minors to begin in NCR – DOH

Vaccination. AFP via The Straits Times/Asia News Network

MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 vaccination of adult general population and minors will be piloted in Metro Manila since the region has shown good vaccination progress, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

The government is eyeing to start the expansion of the vaccination program on October 15, according to DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje.

“Uumpisahan natin sa National Capital Region kasi maganda-ganda na ‘yung kanilang coverage ng kanilang vaccination,” she said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(We will start it in National Capital Region because their vaccination coverage is already fairly good.)

After two weeks, the government will expand the vaccination to other areas and regions, she added.

The government is likewise targeting to start vaccination in hospitals to gauge the reception of the public, especially for the children, Cabotaje said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the vaccination of the general population and minors by October.

The vaccination of minors would cover children aged 12 to 17.

READ: PH to open COVID-19 vaccination to general population in October

So far, only US-made COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna have been approved for use on minors by the country’s Food and Drug Administration.

The government has so far only prioritized the COVID-19 vaccination of health workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), persons with comorbidities (A3), economic frontliners (A4), and indigent citizens (A5).

KGA