The Mandaluyong City local government formally launched the COVID-19 vaccination of children, 5-11 years old, on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos led in welcoming officials from different national agencies in support of the government's campaign to vaccinate and protect Filipino children from COVID-19.
Present were Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) chairman and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III, National Task Force Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Atty. Romando Artes, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista.
Abalos said the local government unit (LGU) has two vaccination sites specifically designated for the inoculation of children aged 5-11 years old. These are located at the 6th level of Podium Mall and Addition Hills Integrated School (AHIS) in Barangay Addition Hills.
"We are grateful for the efforts of the IATF for bringing in the vaccines for kids. Parents won't have to worry about their kids getting sick from COVID-19, and this also completes the vaccination of the whole family. We urge parents to take this opportunity to avail of the free vaccines for kids by simply registering them using their household code at our MandaVax online portal," Abalos said.
The two vaccination sites in the city have a "children's party" setup complete with balloons, candies, ice cream, cotton candy, and mascots for a festive mood during the vaccination process. Kids will also receive loot bags at the observation room while medical frontliners monitor them for any side effects after getting jabbed.

According to Galvez, of the 10,000 kids aged 5 to 11 who were vaccinated nationwide as of February 7, only one child has developed rashes from the vaccine.
"This just proves that the Pfizer vaccine for children is safe," Abalos said.
"We still encourage everyone to practice the minimum health protocols - wearing of face mask, frequent hand washing, and physical distancing - even after getting vaccinated to ensure our safety from COVID-19," she added.