Cebu City resumes vaccination for children 5 to 11-years-old
The pediatric vaccination in Cebu City resumed on Wednesday, February 23. | Delta Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Government resumed on Wednesday, February 23, the vaccination for children aged five to 11-years-old.
Doctor Jeffrey Ibones, head of the City Health Department (CHD), said vaccines were again made available at the city’s pediatric vaccination sites located at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) and Ayala Center Cebu.
The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) and the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) has approved the use of 50 percent of the city’s remaining vaccine supply, that was supposedly set aside for the second dose of those who already had their jabs earlier, to administer first dose on new vaccines.
Cebu City was allotted 6,000 doses of the vaccine for the initial roll-out of its pediatric vaccination last February 16 and half of the allocation or 3, 000 doses was supposedly intended for the second dose of those who were already jabbed earlier.
Because of supply shortage, the city government ordered a temporary suspension of its pediatric vaccination on February 21.
READ: Lack of vaccine supply halts vaccination for 5-11 age group in Cebu City
“Nanawag mi sa DOH ug VVOC, nya at first niingon sila dili pwede gamiton mao na ato usang gihunong ang vaccination. Karon nisugot na sila nga half sa nahibilin nga vaccines magamit na as first dose,” Ibones said.
(We called DOH and VVOC and at first, they told us that we cannot use the remaining vaccines [to administer first dose.] But they eventually agreed to allow us to use half of these vaccines for first dose.)
“Gihatagan tag assurance sa DOH nga aduna padulong nga mga bakuna,” said Ibones.
(DOH gave us the assurance that additional supplies will be arriving soon.)
With the permission from DOH and VVOC, Ibones said, they have 1, 5000 vaccine doses that they could now use on children.
Ibones admitted that shortage in supply hampers the pediatric vaccine rollout here, but he continues to see the eagerness of the parents to already have their children jabbed for their protection against COVID-19.
He is asking parents and their children to be patient.
At the same time, he is also reminding the public that only pre-registered minors can be accommodated at the city’s vaccination sites. Walk-ins are highly discouraged especially with their shortage in vaccine supply.
Substitutions can only be done if a minor scheduled for vaccination on a particular day will not show up.
The Cebu City Government has so far listed 10, 000 minors aged five to 11-years-old for COVID-19 vaccination.
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