The Philippine General Hospital will start COVID vaccination to children with co-morbidities aged 12 to 17 on October 15 together with five other government hospitals.
This is after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the proposal under a “phased approach” using vaccines granted Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.
To be prioritized for vaccination under this age group are those having heart, kidney, respiratory, and other immune problems.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that the staggered rollout of vaccines among kids was needed to manage both risks for children with comorbidities and supply of available doses which remain limited in the country.
The other participating hospitals are Philippine Heart Center and National Children’s Hospital in Quezon City, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Pasig City Children’s Hospital, and Fe Del Mundo Medical Center.
It should be recalled that the PGH was also one of the hospitals that rolled out the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program for its healthcare workers on March 1 with PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi as the first Filipino to get vaccinated. He was joined by other government officials and PGH officials.
(This article, written by Cynthia M. Villamor, was first published in the UP Manila website.)