The government will not shelve its plan of vaccinating children aged five to 11 years old against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as the vaccines that will be used for them are safe and effective, the Department of Health (DOH) and National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 said.

The two agencies issued the joint statement after a petition was filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court---seeking to stop the government's vaccination program for the said age group.

“We recognize their right to file a case, and we will wait for the legal process to take its course,” the DOH and NTF said.

“However, as far as the national government is concerned, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect all sectors of society, which include children and other vulnerable groups. As such, we will proceed with the vaccination rollout for the said age group as planned,” they added.

The two agencies said that the “policy on vaccinating children aged five to 11 is the result of careful study by health experts and has been approved in many countries, including the United States of America, which has one of the most stringent regulatory bodies in the world.”

“As we always emphasize, all FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. Over 8.1 million children have already been vaccinated worldwide, with no reports of deaths and serious adverse events among those vaccinated,” they said.

No serious adverse events were recorded so far among Filipino children aged 12 to 17 who were already vaccinated against COVID-19 “since their vaccination rollout began in October of last year,” the DOH and NTF said.

“In the Philippines, we have already recorded over 100,000 pre-registrations for the vaccination rollout for children aged five to 11. This number signifies the willingness and confidence of parents to have their children vaccinated against the deadly virus. We would also like to point out that parental consent forms are required for all minors who will be vaccinated, and that extra measures have been taken to ensure their safety,” they added.

Parents and guardians of the children belonging to the said age group should “make the right and informed decision for their children's health and well-being,” the DOH and NTF said.

“The vaccines that will be used for the children are reformulated, which contain a lower dosage compared to those given to the older age groups,” they said.

“Vaccinating them is crucial to achieve our goal of protecting all members of the Filipino family children, adults, and senior citizens. This will enable us to continue the safe reopening of schools and other public spaces, as well as ensure the full economic recovery of our nation,” they added.

The COVID-19 vaccination for five to 11 years old will begin on Monday, Feb 7. It was supposed to start on Friday, Feb. 4, but was postponed due to delay in vaccine delivery. The vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech will be used for this age bracket.