Preps on for 5 to 11 y/o vaccination
The city’s public and private health workers are in the thick of preparations for the 5 to 11 age group jabs, after pediatric vaccination was piloted in selected and neighboring areas of the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo, the 5 to 11 y/o vaccination definitely starts next week, which may be on Feb. 14, Valentine’s day; or any day after; in specific venues.
The postponement is due to a delay in the delivery of Pfizer Biontech vaccines for 5 to 11 year-old children. The specially formulated vaccines have the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and are safe, effective and efficacious, Dr. Galpo said. The children’s jabs consisting of 0.2ml, and even less than those for 12 to 17’s, are color coded to differ from adults.
As to reports after NCR’s jab administration, minor side effects were observed in children vaccinees.
Parents are urged to prepare and accompany their children through the process of registration, screening, informed consent processing, vaccination and post-vaccination monitoring at the venues.
A QR code through online registration at bakuna.baguio.gov.ph together with identification documents, signed consent and filiation or proof of relationship between the child and parent/guardian should be presented at the vaccination site. Filiation documents may be birth certificate, school, church or other authenticated forms, with names of the child and parent/guardian appearing on the same document/s.
According to Dr. Galpo; health centers, big and community vaccination sites may be utilized; as with the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center(BGHMC) and four other city hospitals.
As to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Baguio’s 5 to 11 age group population is pegged at 46,955; and as to data from the Management Information and Technical Division (MITD), more than 9,000 have registered as of this week.
An initial 780,000 vaccines arrived with 1.8 M jabs awaited for the country’s 15.5M 5 to 11 years old. – Julie G. Fianza
