Pfizer committed 30M doses for vaccination of ages 5 to 11 –DOH

The Philippine government has secured 30 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the inoculation of children in the 5 to 11 age group against COVID-19, the Department of Health said Saturday.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the government has been able to negotiate with vaccine manufacturer Pfizer for the supply of anti-COVID vaccines for the age group.

“Mayroon na tayong committed na 30 million doses ng Pfizer vaccine for 15 million na 5 to 11 year-old children,” Vergeire said, noting that children will receive two doses of the vaccine within a 21-day interval after getting the first jab.

Earlier, the government moved the COVID-19 vaccination of minors to Monday, February 7, which was originally scheduled on February, due to logistical challenges. 

Malacañang has said initially that the vaccination would be rolled out in six vaccination sites in the National Capital Region on Friday.

These are the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Manila Zoo, SM North Edsa (Skydome), and the Fil Oil Gym in San Juan City.

Vergeire said the vaccination of minors will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday.

By Tuesday, February 9, the sites will be expanded to 38 all over Metro Manila as well as in Region 3 and Region 4A, she said.

“By next week, we will be launching in specific regions in the country like Davao and Cebu,” the Health official said.

Vergeire said the vaccination of minors will be a phased implementation.

“Dumating ang 780,000 doses ng bakuna kagabi para sa ating kabataan. Sunod-sunod nang darating ang mga bakuna kaya we will have our expansion within this month,” she added.

Vergeire said that the vaccination of minors is purely voluntary and parents should decide whether or not their children will get jabbed.

She added that the system is ready to detect any adverse event on children due to vaccination, noting that benefits of the vaccine still outweighs the risks.

Moreover, Vergeire said vaccination will prevent a reported phenomenon in children called Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome, a severe form of COVID-19 which results in multiple organ failures. —LBG, GMA News