The Quezon City local government is eyeing the vaccination of minors in private and public schools all over the city even as it started culling the list of students aged 12 to 17 years in anticipation of the possible expansion of vaccination coverage in the Philippines.
"The idea is to put up vaccination sites in these private and public schools," Joseph Juico, co-chairman of the city’s Vax to Normal Task Force, said in a statement.
He said this is the city's way of being a step ahead while waiting for the approval of the national government to include minors in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine drive.
"For out-of-school youths, home schooling, and youths studying outside of the city, we are coordinating with the barangays which are now doing a census in their areas of responsibility," Juico added.
Mayor Joy Belmonte had earlier expressed alarm over the rising number of COVID-19 infections among children.
Of the city's estimated 2.9 million population, she said 30 percent are children.
The city government also said it included children in its expanded swab testing and isolation facilities.
Other local government units such as Pateros, Makati, Muntinlupa, Manila, Caloocan, Mandaluyong, and Las Pinas have already started the registration of minors for vaccination against COVID-19.
Over 16 million individuals in the Philippines have already been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.