DOH awaits WHO recommendation on Moderna use for ages 6-11

FILE: Nurse Sonia Saballa (left) administers a Covid-19 vaccine to Lizel Labador, 12, (center) who is accompanied by her stepmother Ma. Lourdes Valdez, 51, (standing, right) during the first dose vaccination inside a classroom at the Bagong Silang Elementary School in Caloocan City on Tuesday (Jan. 11, 2021). (PNA photo by Ben Briones)

MANILA – The Department of Health is awaiting the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the use of Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 6 to 11 years old.

On May 20, the Food and Drug Administration granted an amendment to the emergency use authorization of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, allowing its use as a primary series vaccine for the said age group.

“Inaantay lamang natin ang WHO recommendation para sa paggamit ng Moderna para sa batang (We’re just waiting for the WHO recommendation for the use of Moderna for children) 6 to 11 years old and HTAC [Health Technology Assessment Council] recommendation I should say,” the Department of Health – Health Promotion Bureau Director Beverly Ho said Tuesday in an online media forum.

Ho noted that the WHO recommendation would guide the HTAC in its independent evaluation.

The DOH and the National Vaccination Operations Center will start the rollout of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine once HTAC gives a positive recommendation based on evidence.

Consequently, the local government units would perform the ground implementation of the vaccination nationwide.

“Ngayon, mayroon available vaccines pa rin tayo for our Pfizer doses habang inaantay ito (We still have available vaccines for our Pfizer doses while waiting for this),” she said.

To date, about 2.7 million children ages 5 to 11 years old are already fully vaccinated against Covid-19.