DAVAO CITY - The Department of Health in the Davao Region (DOH-11$ announced on Tuesday that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination rollout for minors aged 12 to 17 with comorbidities will start on October 29 in identified hospitals throughout the region.
In a statement, Dr. Roy Ferrer, Assistant Secretary of Health for Visayas and Mindanao, said Moderna and Pfizer have an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the A3 pediatric population aged 12 to 17.
Children under A3 are those with underlying medical comorbidities and at risk of severe Covid-19.
These children have been identified to have medical complexities, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic or endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), or tuberculosis.
“We assure everyone that vaccines are safe and effective. We encourage parents and children with co-morbidities to get vaccinated,” Ferrer said.
In this city, vaccination for the Pediatric A3 group will be held at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC), and Amosup Seamen's Hospital.
Other hospitals in the region that will roll out the vaccines are the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital, Davao Regional Medical Center in Davao del Norte, Davao De Oro Provincial Hospital, and Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center.
Meanwhile, Dr. Annabel Yumang, DOH-11 director, said parents worry less when their kids have been vaccinated.
“We now include the pediatric population in the vaccination campaign because some of them are still at risk of Covid-19 complications. We hope to see parents and kids in vaccination sites,” she said.
She also advised parents seeking to get their kids vaccinated to secure first a vaccination schedule with their hospital.
“Upon confirmation, they need to bring the following on the day of vaccination: a medical certificate detailing the child’s comorbidity, valid (identification cards) of both the child and the parent or guardian, and any proof of filiation like the birth certificate,” Yumang said.
She added that the vaccine recipient must also be accompanied by the parent or guardian at the vaccination site.
Arlyne Sionsa, a mother of an asthmatic 13-year-old high school student, welcomed the recent development of the vaccine rollout.
She said she has long been waiting for her son's turn to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
"We will avail of this program. It will not only protect my son but also others," she told the Philippine News Agency in an interview Tuesday.
Sionsa assured that she will process all the needed requirements for his son to be ready for his October 29 schedule. (PNA)
