The Philippines began its vaccination drive against the COVID 19 on minors aged 12-17 years old last October 2021. The vaccination for minors enables hope for the country to safely re-open face-to-face classes despite fighting the worst outbreak in Asia. The Philippines has followed many other countries in expanding the vaccination campaign to minors.
Due to the stable supply of the COVID-19 vaccines, the authorities decided to do a national rollout of pediatric vaccination in place of the phase-by-phase implementation. Before this, the authorities turned into making plans of doing the pediatric vaccinations in areas wherein the inoculation reach of the A2 region or senior residents had reached 50%.
Process of Pediatric Vaccination for Minors
Many local government units (LGU) have begun pre-registration for pediatric groups. Parents can coordinate with LGU to list their children for COVID 19 vaccination. The Department of Health (DOH) previously stated that parents can also contact a pediatrician or hospital to schedule their child's vaccination.
The vaccination for minors is similar to the process for adult groups, except that minors are required to submit a signed consent form from their parents or legal guardian. Minors should be accompanied by their parents or legal guardian on the day of their vaccination.
Parents are required to provide all documentation certifying the family relationship between the minor and the parent or guardian. In addition to hospitals, the LGU’s can also provide vaccinations for minors in places where adult vaccination drives are also taking place. However, they need to set up a special lane for minors.
The DOH has made it clear that minors without associated illnesses do not need a medical certificate. The department said that parents only need to provide a document certifying the parent-child relationship and present a valid ID in the registration area. However, a medical certificate is required for patients with comorbidities.
What are the available vaccines for minors?
Philippine drug regulators in the Philippines granted emergency use authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines respectively for use by minors over the age of 12. The DOH also said that these vaccines will be used in children during the nationwide rollout of pediatric vaccination.
Vaccination Drive for children aged 5-11 years old
The recent surge in cases caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant has increased infection in all age groups. People aged from 18-59 years old show the largest increase, followed by children under 5 and children aged 5 to 11 years old.
According to the DOH, the contribution of children aged 0 to 11 years to the total number of cases is higher with the omicron wave than the delta. Cases in the 0 to 11 age group accounted for an average of 56% of all pediatric cases in September while rising to 69.2% in January.
In contrast to the 12 to 17 years old vaccination drive, children with comorbidities prioritization will no longer be observed in the 5-11 age group to achieve faster vaccinations. However, parents of children with comorbidities must still submit a medical certificate.
What vaccine will be used for children aged 5-11 years old?
The COVID19 vaccine manufactured by PfizerBioNTech will be used in pediatric vaccination as it was the only vaccine to receive an emergency use authorization from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration for 5 to 11 years old. Pfizer vaccines given to children aged 5 to 11 years old have lower doses and concentrations than vaccines given to minors aged 12 to 17 years old.
Same with adults, the side effects of the COVID19 vaccine are also expected in children. However, the DOH said that these are mild reactions and should not last for more than 48 hours.
These are some of the common side effects of vaccines.
- Low Fever
- Muscle Aches
- Fatigue
- Headache
The Philippine Pediatric Society and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines have assured parents that the COVID 19 vaccine is safe and effective for children aged 5 to 11, as they speak out in support of the government's vaccination campaign.
The Philippines will be joining some countries like the United States and Singapore, which have already commenced vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 years old.
How to keep your child safe from COVID 19?
Always wear a face mask
Wearing a face mask should be a priority, especially if it is difficult to maintain social distance. Have some face masks ready for your child. Provide your children with clean masks and spares daily. Make sure to also provide clean, resealable bags for storing masks when they cannot be worn.
Always wash your hands
Practice hand washing with your child at home. Explain why it is important to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and before wearing a face mask. If they cannot wash their hands, it is recommended that a child use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
Clean and Disinfect Surfaces
Always clean your space whether you are staying in a residential home or a condo living. You can also fix up your home or condo design for spaces that often bring dirt or dust to surfaces. If moving to a new home or in a ready for occupancy condo, make sure that everything is disinfected before completely residing. Cleaning the usually touched surfaces can help reduce the risk of illness for your children.
Eat Healthy foods and Drink Vitamins
A healthy lifestyle is essential for good health and nutrition. Eating healthy food protects you from many chronic non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Let your child eat food like vegetables and fruits. Vitamins are also considered essential in every person’s health. To make sure that your child is safe, follow the doctor’s advice on what type of vitamins they should be getting.
Keep in touch with your Doctor
Keeping in touch with the doctor, be it online or personal appointments can help you and your child do the right things when an emergency comes. Nowadays, it is hard to go out and go to the hospital, the most convenient thing to do is call the doctor via phone or messaging apps. Take the advice of the doctor if it will be necessary for hospitalization for your child.
By following these steps, you can assure that your child will be as safe as possible during the COVID 19 pandemic. Do not hesitate to call a doctor or a hospital when facing a sudden emergency. Our health and safety always come first, especially in today's situation. In these difficult times, we need to trust each other to do the right thing and pay attention to our day-to-day actions to lessen the risk to those around us.
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