Dr. Padilla to parents: Don’t fear COVID-19 vaccines

Dr. Minguita Padilla

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Even the children have been badly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), says Dr. Minguita Padilla, a medical doctor and a health advocate.

Padilla said the pandemic has prevented the children, especially the small ones, from attending face-to-face classes which is very crucial to their formative years.

In order to make children live normal lives again, it is important that they too are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“If you protect them and they are protected, we are more confident that we can open our schools face-to-face classes again. It’s very important for that age to have face-to-face classes,” she said.

Padilla, an ophthalmologist and president and chairperson of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, said it is normal for parents to fell fear as to how the vaccine would affect their children.

But she gave the assurance that this will not cause them harm provided that the child is fit for vaccination.

“It (this vaccine) is new.  It is understandable that people are worried, but I think, I believe that this has been studied and the dose for children is less than adults, much less,” said Padilla, who is seeking election for senator under the slate of Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Pediatric Cases

In a report released on Friday, February 4, 2022, the Department of Health said that “the contribution of children aged 0 – 11 years old in the total pediatric cases is higher during the Omicron wave compared to Delta.”

Cases under this age group consist around 56 percent of the pediatric cases in September 2021 and this increased to 69.2 percent in January 2022.

“Vaccination of the eligible population ensures the protection of households and the community, as it prevents further transmission and mutation of the virus. We therefore encourage everyone to get vaccinated to get the additional protection against COVID-19,” DOH said.

Fear of the Parents

Padilla said parents, who are remain unconvinced of the need to vaccinate children, should be respected.  And instead of making fun of them, they should be made to understand its benefits.

“We just have to approach it cautiously and let’s not force the parents na kailangan. We should be able to understand their hesitancy. But [they should be made to understand that if] the more children are being vaccinated, the more confidence will grow.  The more people you know who have vaccines, the less afraid you are.”

“Do it carefully and be sensitive to the fears of the parents. Don’t say they’re crazy. Just be sensitive about it.”

She said that a lot of adults were also hesitant when COVID-19 vaccines were first introduced in the country.

Padilla said she was among the first five doctors who volunteered to receive Sinovac, the first available COVID-19 vaccine here, on March 2021.

“Everyone was watching us, even the [other] doctors and nurses. They didn’t know what’s going to happen to us. [We were having] Sinovac. Nobody wanted Sinovac. But kami we studied it. Its an old fashion vaccine and we said let’s do it because its better than nothing. We needed to be protected,” she said.

“And if we continue vaccinating and vaccinating and vaccinating, we will get to that stage wherein it is an endemic disease meaning hindi steady. It is not going up so much, its not going down so much. Just like the cold, it’s always there.  The flu is always there. So, its not going to affect our lives so much, damage our lives. But its there. We just have to live with it,” she added.