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Should we next vaccinate kids under 5? Expert says 'wait first'

Philippines | National

Should we next vaccinate kids under 5? Expert says 'wait first'

By Gabriela Baron

The director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination said on Sunday, Feb. 13, we should wait first before vaccinating children under five against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

(NOEL PABALATE / MANILA BULLETIN)

"Dapat pag-aralan muna kung dapat palawigin ang edad para sa mandatory vaccination of children (It must be first studied whether the age for mandatory vaccination should be extended)," Dr. Lulu Bravo said in an interview over DZBB.

"Ang edad 0 to five and may mataas na mortality o mga hindi nakakaligtas sa sakit, kasi yung mga babies at mga very young infant, madalas ay yung naglulubha. Yan yung kailangan talaga (There's a high mortality among children aged 0 to give because when babies and infant get sick, their illness get severe. So they really need the vaccine)," Bravo added.

Bravo reiterated that vaccines help prevent serious illnesses among children and urged parents to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Napatunayan na mahalaga ang bakuna laban sa mga sakit. Bakuna ang nakaalis ng polio sa bansa, bakuna rin ang nakapag-alis ng small pox, nakatulong para mabawasan ang tigdas (The vaccine has proven to be important against diseases. The vaccine has eliminated polio in the country, the vaccine has also eliminated small pox, it has helped reduce measles)," she noted.

The country kicked off the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged five to 11 years old on Feb. 7.

Related Tags

pediatric vaccination Philippine Foundation for Vaccination covid-19 vaccine

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