12 minors receive Covid-19 vaccine at PGH

THE pilot vaccination of minors 12 to 17 years old got off to a good start at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Friday, October 15, 2021.

Dr. Jonas Del Rosario, PGH spokesperson, said 12 minors with comorbidities received the vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Next week, the PGH vaccination site targets to inoculate 350 minors.

No adverse effects following immunization (AEFI) were reported among the vaccine recipients Friday.

"So far so good. We already have a system in place for pediatric vaccination," Del Rosario said in a radio interview.

"We are being extra careful, deliberately on a slower pace so that we can remove any reservations of the parents," he added.

Most of the children were nervous, but the parents were there to soothe away their fears.

"It seems the children are more nervous in getting injected, the trauma of getting injected. But their parents are there to give them the assurance," he related.

Minors with comorbidities, aged 12 to 17 years old, are now part of vaccination priority group A3 (persons with comorbidities). They are classified as pediatric A3.

Aside from PGH, other vaccination sites that launched the pediatric vaccinations Friday were National Children's Hospital (Quezon City), Philippine Heart Center (Quezon City), Pasig City Children's Hospital (Pasig), Fe Del Mundo Medical Center (Quezon City), Makati Medical Center (Makati), St. Luke's Medical Center (Taguig) and Philippine Children's Medical Center (Quezon City).

In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they do not have the numbers yet on the number of pediatric patients eligible for the initial phase of the rollout.

"What we are relying on right now would be the pool of patients of the pediatricians in the identified hospitals," said Vergeire.

The event was off-limits to the media due to safety and privacy concerns. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)