The Muntinlupa City government has registered 12,096 minors for its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program.
According to the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac), as of 8 a.m. of Oct. 4, 12,096 12 to 17-year-olds have signed up for the inoculation program.
The total is 22 percent of the estimated 55,391 total population of 12 to 17-year-olds in Muntinlupa.
By barangay, out of the 12,096, Putatan has the highest number of registrants with 2,114 followed by Poblacion, 1,618; Tunasan, 1,590; Alabang, 1,297; Cupang, 1,093; Sucat, 713; Bayanan, 652; Ayala Alabang, 547; and Buli, 199. Non-residents who registered totaled 2,273.
In May, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the amendment to the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to allow its use for 12 years old and above. Last month, the FDA approved the use of the Moderna vaccine for 12 years old and above.
The national government announced that the vaccination of the general population will start this month.
In Resolution No. 141 issued last Sept. 30, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases stated, “Upon the directives of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the National COVID-19 Immunization Program shall be opened to the general public nationwide upon the determination of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and its Vaccine Cluster.”
It said starting Oct. 16, the vaccination of 12 to 17-year-olds will “be piloted under a phased approach as may be determined by the National Vaccination Operations Center.”
Presidential spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. said according to the Department of Health, the vaccination of minors will start with 12 to 17-year-olds with comorbidities.
As of Oct. 1, 277,940 individuals in Muntinlupa have been fully vaccinated, or 72 percent of the target population of 385,725. A total of 332,517 individuals, or 86.2 percent of the target, have received the first dose.