A child rights group on Wednesday, Aug. 18, raised concern on the increasing number of children with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and called for immediate action and protection by government and general public.
Save the Children Philippines, in a statement, said it is alarmed by the increasing number of reported cases of children and adolescents already infected with COVID-19 amid woes of Delta variant spread.
Citing data presented by health authorities, the group noted that over 48,000 children ages 19 and below have acquired COVID-19 as of February 2021 where 40.2 percent are from the 15 to 20 years old age group, 17.4 percent are ages 5 to 9, and 18.5 percent are ages four and below.
“Globally, children account for up to 15 percent of confirmed cases,” Save the Children stressed.
Given this, the group called on the government, parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders to “work hand-in-hand with urgency to protect children and youth” from the virus.
Vaccination is key
While inoculation of children against COVID-19 is not yet a priority and the country is still on its way to achieving herd immunity with around 26.6 million Filipinos vaccinated as of recent, Save the Children believed that the “greatest protection” that can be given to children is for adults to get vaccinated.
“The sooner this is done, the greater chances for children and adolescents to rise in the priority list,” the child rights organization said.
The group also believes that while adults are prioritized for vaccination, “children must also continue to receive other life-saving immunizations and health nutrition services” necessary for their survival.
“We call on the government to ensure that all children will have safe and inclusive access to basic childhood vaccines and receive routine immunization for vaccine-preventable diseases, even at the time of pandemic,” said Save the Children Philippines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alberto Muyot.
Muyot, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), explained that Save the Children Philippines has been supporting the National Immunization Program of the Department of Health (DOH) through its health and nutrition programs which include nutrition-specific interventions and nutrition-sensitive programs.
The organization has been working closely with Rural Health Units (RHU) to promote and ensure full immunization of children at age 12 months.
This, Save the Children said, is also part of the Nurturing Care Framework included in the First 1000 Days ordinances based on Republic Act 11148 (Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act) advocated by group to local government units.
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https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/17/covid-19-and-children/