A minor in Cebu City gets vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine during the program’s launch on Friday, October 29 at the Behavioral Sciences Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). /Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City has launched the vaccination of its minors aged 12 to 17 years old against the COVID-19.
The city joined the rest of Central Visayas in the ceremonial launch of the pediatric vaccination program on Friday, October 29, 2021.
Doctor Jeffrey Ibones, the officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Health Department (CHD), said at least 100 minors with comorbidities will be vaccinated on Friday.
The first 50 will be vaccinated in the morning, and another 50 will be vaccinated in the afternoon at the Behavioral Sciences Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
True to their word, the city government has found a way to distance the vaccination site from the actual hospital where COVID-19 patients are located.
The Behavioral Sciences Center is at least 300 meters away from the actual VSMMC hospital.
Ibones said this is what they are trying to push, that vaccination sites for minors remain outside of the hospitals to reduce the risk of getting them infected.
“Naa nay guidelines gikan sa Department of Health (DOH) nga as long as duol ra sa hospital, mga 5 kilometer radius. Naa man ta ana,” said Ibones.
Ibones said currently they have three sites to consider: the Southwestern University PHINMA building, University of Cebu J. Alcantara building, and the Ayala Center Cebu, all of which are within a 5-kilometer radius from hospitals.
This is still pending review of Acting Mayor Michael Rama, but Ibones said that this is the best course of action for now.
As for the mass vaccination of the minors, the official start would be on November 3, after the holidays and the City Health will announce the available sites for such.
Parents or guardians of the minors will receive a text message from the Cebu City Vaccination Operations Center (VOC) for the schedule and the site.
The first two minors who got vaccinated in Cebu City are the Sio sibling, 15-year-old Ramon Anthony, and 13-year-old Reese Valerie.
Their mother has decided to get them vaccinated so they will be protected from the virus especially when the face-to-face classes return.
“Para lang gyod safe sila,” she said.
The city needs to vaccinate an estimated 150,000 minors aged 12 to 17 years old to achieve herd immunity among this age group. /rcg
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