The pediatric vaccination of children age five to 11 years old against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) officially kicked off on Monday, Feb. 7, where hundreds to thousands of kids lined up with their parents and guardians at different vaccination sites in Metro Manila, according to officials.

Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, led the launching of the "Resbaluna Kids" vaccination program at the National Children’s Hospital in Quezon City, one of the six vaccination sites in Metro Manila where the pediatric vaccination was piloted.

“It is our hope that you will continue to support our national vaccination program until all members of the Filipino family – Lolo and Lola (grandfather and grandmother), Nanay and Tatay (mother and father), Ate, Kuya, and Bunso (sister, brother, and youngest child) – are fully vaccinated,” Galvez said in his speech.

Dr. Moriel Creencia, medical center chief of the National Children’s Hospital, administered the first shot to seven-year-old girl Jaemie de Castro while a second Pfizer shot was given by Dr. Joselyn Eusebio, President of the Philippine Pediatric Society, to six-year-old boy “Kiel.”

Lastly, the third ceremonial shot was administered by Dr. Paz Corrales, special adviser of the NTF Against COVID-19, to a 10-year-old girl.

As of 12 noon, a total of 70 children have received their first dose of the reformulated Pfizer vaccine at the National Children’s Hospital, according to the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC).

Around 6,000 children are expected to be vaccinated in all six vaccination sites in Metro Manila for the first day of the pediatric vaccination of the said age group.

Other vaccination sites are at the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Manila Zoo, SM North EDSA (Skydome), and San Juan City’s Fil Oil Gymnasium. There was also a designated vaccination site at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor, Cavite.

The vaccination program for the younger population will then be expanded in other regions on Feb. 14.

Galvez thanked the parents who accompanied their children at the vaccination sites to have them inoculated.

“We would also like to thank the parents who accompanied their children to have them vaccinated. Like what we have said, the children are more excited than their parents. We are very happy with your decision. As studies have proven, vaccination is the most effective way to protect our children against COVID-19,” he said.

“We would also like to reassure our parents that the Pfizer vaccine we shall be using for the children aged 5 to 11 is safe and effective. It is reformulated which means that it has a lower dosage compared to those given to the other age groups,” he added.