FILE PHOTO: Woman holds vials labelled “COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” over dry ice in this illustration taken, December 5, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu is set to start administering COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 5 to 11 years old anytime soon.
And local health officials here are urging parents to have their children vaccinated as a protection against the infection.
This after findings from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) showed that around 94 percent of minors, who were infected and eventually succumbed to COVID-19, were unvaccinated.
“Ang ating panawagan sa kapwa mga magulang and guardians – pabakunahan ang mga kabataan. Itong numbers, nagpapatunay na kailangan natin nga bakuna para sa kabataan,” said Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) and VVOC spokesperson.
The VVOC recorded a total of 6,124 children from Central Visayas, aged 17-years-old and below, who were admitted to hospitals due to the infection since the pandemic began in 2020.
Of this number, COVID-19 claimed 171 lives. Furthermore, the VVOC’s report showed that around 94.15 percent of kids who died due to COVID-19 were unvaccinated.
The same data also showed that around four percent or 240 of the over 6,000 minors admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 were jabbed.
“Available na po ang bakuna for our children 5 to 11 years old in the coming days. May bakuna na po tayo for 12 to 17 years old,” said Loreche.
“(Have your children vaccinated) hindi lang to save their lives but give them their lives back. By allowing them to go back to school, play again, and socialize. Allowing them to become normal children again,” she continued.
Since February 7, the Philippines, led by Metro Manila, has begun its COVID-19 inoculation drive for young children aged 5 to 11 years old.
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