The national government's determination to protect young children from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has struck a chord with a mother of two who's vying for a seat in the House of Representatives.

“Bilang isang magulang, mas nanaisin ko na mabigyan ng bakuna ang anak ko kaysa madapuan ng virus, lalo na ngayon na mataas pa rin ang bilang ng nagkakaroon ng COVID-19 (As a parent, I would prefer my child to get inoculated instead of falling ill to the virus, especially now that COVID-19 is still causing a high number of infections)" said Aina del Rosario.

Del Rosario, a registered nurse, is one of the nominees of multisectoral party-list Angat Pinoy.

The government is in full throttle with its pediatric vaccination, which was recently adjusted to cover children aged five to 11 years of age.

The Angat Pinoy nominee highlighted the oft-cited purpose for carrying out pediatric vaccination, which is to facilitate in-person classes amid the pandemic.

“Ang pagbabakuna sa mga bata ay isang epektibong paraang medikal para maprotektahan ang mga bata at makalabas sila lalo na sa muling pagbubukas ng face-to-face classroom (Vaccinating kids is a medically effective way of protecting kids, thus allowing them to go outdoors and attend face-to-face classes),” Del Rosario said.

According to a Deprtment of Health (DOH) statement, the policy of vaccinating kids aged five to 11 is the result of careful study by health experts and has been approved in many countries, including the United States (US).

The US has one of the most stringest regulatory bodies in the world when it comes to medicine. The COVID-19 vaccine brand being used on Filipino youngsters is American-made.

The aspiring congresswoman said that while she respects the decision of some parents not to have their kids vaccinated, she believes that inoculation is crucial to achieving the country’s goal of protecting all members of the Filipino family from COVID-19.

“Inoculating our kids will enable us to continue the safe reopening of schools and other public places, as well us ensure the full economic recovery of our nation,” Del rosario added.

Angat Pinoy is a multisectoral party-list which, by way of legislation, aims to alleviate women’s welfare and rights, especially single parents; micro, small, and medium enterprises; and senior citizens.