GOVERNMENT will start vaccinating children aged five to 11 years on February 4 in the National Capital Region with pediatric vaccines expected to arrive next week, Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said in a report to President Duterte on Monday night.
Galvez said two vaccination sites will be opened in Metro Manila for the pilot implementation, which will be followed by the opening of both hospital and non-hospital vaccination sites in different regions weekly.
He said the designated vaccination days for the five-to-11-year-olds are Fridays to Sundays.
The government aims to fully vaccinate 15.56 million minors before President Duterte’s term ends in June.
At present, only the US-made Pfizer vaccine for kids 5 to 11 years old has been issued an emergency use authority (EUA). The first tranche of 780,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines is set to be delivered on January 31. The government bought 15 million doses of vaccines.
Galvez said experts have given the assurance that the pediatric vaccines are safe.
Task force medical adviser Ted Herbosa, during the “Laging Handa” public briefing yesterday, said two doses will be given to the minors similar to adolescents and adults.
He also said the government may start administering booster shots for adolescents by early March or three months after the first batch of 12-to-17-year-olds completed their two-dose primary shots.
He said the first dose of pediatric vaccine was given in November last year and the second dose was administered in December.
“So, the earliest, for those who were fully vaccinated in December, may be administered with a booster for the teenagers aged 12 to 17 by early March,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.
The government aims to fully vaccinate, and provide boosters, to 12.74 million adolescents.
Galvez reiterated the government is scaling up the administration of booster shots.
As of January 24, some 3.855 million individuals have received their booster shots. The government has also administered 115.3 million doses of vaccines nationwide, including 58.058 million as first dose.
Dr Rontgene Solante, a member of the Vaccine Expert Panel, and Dr Lulu Bravo, convenor of the Department of Health’s vaccine study group, reiterated the importance of booster shots to increase one’s protection against COVID-19 and the different variants.
Solante said for now, one booster shot is enough for the general public, health workers, elders, and persons with comorbidities.
He said persons who are immunocompromised, however, may need a fourth shot — three doses of primary series and one booster.
He said further studies are being done to determine the impact of having more than one booster shot even as some countries are already preparing for fourth and fifth booster shots.
Presidential adviser for COVID Response Vince Dizon said the government is preparing to expand its “Resbakuna sa Botika” program to increase the public’s access to booster shots.
He said two pharmacies in Baguio City will be tapped to administer the booster shots while preparations are also being done in Cebu. The Rose Pharmacy will lead the pilot implementation in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The government has administered 2,242 booster shots during the first three days of the pilot implementation of the “Resbakuna sa Botika” in five pharmacies and two private clinics in Metro Manila last week. The target was initially 700 to 1,000 jabs.
To further boost the vaccination drive, the government is now working on establishing vaccination sites in four Metro Rail Transit (MRT) stations — in Cubao, Shaw Blvd, Boni and Ayala, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
Tugade, in a report to the President on Monday, said DOTr is also planning to set up on-site vaccination facilities and vaccinate commuters, similar to the mobile vaccination site at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX). The PITX aims to vaccinate 500 people daily.
The President said he is willing vaccinate members of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, if there will be spare vaccines.
The President, however, urged the communist rebels to allow the government to freely administer vaccines in the different areas in the country.
Duterte again asked them to give up the armed struggle and surrender. He said the armed struggle had been going on for decades.
He reiterated that the government can provide them houses, skills training and education and livelihood.
The CPP has been declared a terrorist organization. Duterte has terminated peace negotiations with the communists.
