1.1K teens inoculated in pilot pediatric vax

MANILA – More than 1,000 minors less than 18 years old have been inoculated in the pilot pediatric vaccination, the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 reported Friday night.

The government began the rollout in eight hospitals across Metro Manila on October 15, using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of the two jabs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children aged 12 years to 17 years.

“We started the vaccination of children and we used Pfizer vaccine for 15 to 17 years old. Eight hospitals did the vaccination and a total of 1,153 children below 18 years old have been vaccinated. That’s only as of today,” NTF medical adviser Dr. Teodoro Herbosa said in an interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Herbosa, together with United States Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Nina Lewis, welcomed the arrival of 862,290 Pfizer-BioNTech doses, which are part of the 2,290,860 government-procured doses that will be delivered to Davao, Cebu, and Manila from October 14 to 16.

Noting this increase in Pfizer supply, he said the government is on track to vaccinate children aged 12 years to 14 years by next week and those outside Metro Manila no later than November 5.

“We’re very happy that the US continues to support us in the national vaccine program. They’re our biggest partner in the arrival of vaccines both through the COVAX (Facility) and through the procured vaccine,” Herbosa said.