The government is set to expand the conduct of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pediatric vaccination to other hospitals and facilities in Metro Manila, an official of the National Vaccines Operation Center (NVOC) said on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The vaccination of children with comorbidities aged 12 to 17 will be conducted in over 20 hospitals and facilities, including the eight hospitals that were initially tapped for the pilot vaccination, said NVOC official Dr. Kezia Rosario during the Laging Handa public briefing.
“So each of the local government units (LGUs) naman po ng National Capital Region have already prepared ng kanilang vaccination site using iyong hospital as a vaccination site (of the National Capital Region have already prepared their hospital as a vaccination site),” said Rosario.
"We also had LGUs--- due to limitation of hospital spaces--- have negotiated with us to use several of their nearby facilities as vaccination sites,” she added.
Rosario said that those LGUs who will use other facilities instead of hospitals are ready to roll out the pediatric vaccination program.
“We allowed several local governments after inspection. Nag-inspect po iyong NVOC at saka iyong CHDMM ng mga vaccination sites na ito. Pero ang isang colatilla... malapit lang talaga sila ospital so may pinayagan kaming mga vaccination site po (The NVOC and the CHDMM inspected these vaccination sites. But a colatilla... they are really close to the hospital so we have allowed the use of these facilities as vaccination sites),” said Rosario.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently announced that the Phase 2 of the pediatric vaccination is set on Friday, Oct. 22. These are the hospitals and facilities tapped for pediatric vaccination as of Oct. 20, according to the Department of Health (DOH):
- Caloocan City North Medical Center
- Caloocan City Medical Center (South)
- Ospital ng Malabon/Oreta Sports Complex
- Navotas City Hospital
- Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital
- Pasig City General Hospital
- St. Luke's Medical Center (BGC)
- Marikina Sports Complex (Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center)
- Philippine Heart Center
- Philippine Children's Medical Center
- National Children’s Hospital
- Fe Del Mundo Medical Center
- Quezon City General Hospital
- St. Luke's Medical Center (QC)
- Philippine General Hospital
- Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
- Makati Medical Center
- Ospital ng Makati
- SM Megamall Mega Vaccination Site (MCMC)
- Cardinal Santos Medical Center
- Ospital ng Muntinlupa
- Ospital ng Paranaque 1
- University of Perpetual Help Dalta System
- Pasay City General Hospital
The official said that the country has enough supply of vaccines for the pediatric vaccination.
“Iyong vaccine supply po na ibibigay sa kanila will be either Moderna or Pfizer. May enough supply po tayo for them para makapagbakuna po tayo (The vaccines that will be given to them will be either Moderna or Pfizer. We have enough supply for them so we can vaccinate them),” said Rosario.
As of Oct. 19, a total of 3,416 children with comorbidities aged 12 to 17 were already vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the figure, four children experienced adverse events following immunization (AEFI), said Rosario.
“Ang bilang lang naman ng ating na-record na adverse events after immunization is apat lang... Sa ngayon may isa tayong serious or severe ng AEFI and the rest po ay mild lang naman (The number of adverse events we recorded after immunization is only four. So far we have one serious or severe AEFI and the rest are mild),” she said.
“Yung severe case natin ay may allergic reaction siya during sa pagbabakuna... The rest po ay related lang sa pagbabakuna na medyo na-stress lang po sila during the vaccination so nothing serious naman (The severe case is that he had an allergic reaction during the vaccination... The rest is just related to the vaccination that they were a bit stressed during the vaccination so nothing serious),” she added.