The government’s pilot implementation of COVID-19 vaccination for the pediatric age group of 5 to 11, dubbed “Resbakuna Kids," has started on February 7 in 38 sites around the National Capital Region (NCR), five in Region III, three in Region IV-A, and one in BARMM with Region XII.
“As we are starting to achieve a majority of fully vaccinated Filipinos, it is now the time to give our children the protection that they need against COVID-19,” said National Task Force (NTF) Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. “We are ensuring the health and safety of children as we begin to reopen our schools and face to face classes. By doing this, we are also protecting the mental health of young ones.”
As of 4PM on the first day of vaccination, there were 7,416 children aged 5 to 11 who had been vaccinated with a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Health continues to encourage local government units and parents to ramp-up and continue pre-registering their children to ensure many kids get vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a statement by the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Philippine Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, they reiterated that "vaccine is the best way to protect children from COVID-19 and its complications" and highlighted that "In the pivotal trial of the vaccine conducted among children ages 5-11 years, the vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious, having prevented 90.9% of symptomatic COVID-19. No serious adverse events nor deaths were found related to the vaccination."
To ensure that children will have a comfortable and pleasant experience, different sites were decorated and designed in creative ways that would make vaccination more fun for the young ones—with some even going all out on a specific theme and rewarding kids with bags of goodies.
Take a look at some of the fun-looking vaccination sites that have been doing a good jab:
The Podium
SMX Convention Center
Drive-thru vaccination at Westgate Alabang
Ospital ng Muntinlupa
Philippine Children’s Medical Center
SM North EDSA
Robinsons Place Las Piñas
Manila Zoo
SM City Sucat
SM North EDSA
“We must continue to work in achieving population protection by vaccinating and practicing the minimum public health standards as these measures will help in achieving maximum protection against the virus. With these, we can move forward towards a safer community - for ourselves and for the children of the future,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.
This article does not provide medical advice, it is intended for informational purposes only. The article is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
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