130 minors vaccinated vs COVID in Iloilo City pilot jabs

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Iloilo City government kickstarted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations for minors aged 12 to 17 years old on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 with 130 minors receiving their first dose.

Inoculations of the said age group began with a ceremonial vaccination, where 12-year-old females with co-morbidities received COVID-19 shots at the St. Paul’s Hospital.

The city government is eyeing 150 to 250 minors to receive their first doses in the pilot vaccinations.

Prior to the ceremonial vaccination, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas thanked the Department of Health (DOH) and the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) for the continuous delivery of COVID vaccines.

He said the city is home to an estimated 50,000 minors aged 12 to 17 years, including those who are not residents of the city but studying in secondary and tertiary educational institutions.

“Around [51,000] Pfizer vaccines arrived recently, it’s enough to vaccinate our minors, because the city government estimates up to 50,000 minors, and we will add because there are many studying in the city who are not our residents, so we will seek to have them vaccinated too,” the mayor said.

The mayor also mentioned the future administration of COVID vaccine booster shots, which he hopes will help prevent the disease.

“By the time they will allow booster shots, we will have more than enough vaccines because the [IATF-MEID] has continued to send [vaccines], plus our own procurement of AstraZeneca [COVID vaccines] which are also sharing with [other Iloilo towns],” the mayor said.

Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) Regional Director Dr. Adriano Suba-an, who was also present during the event, stated that Iloilo City has reached 87 percent of the national government’s target for COVID vaccinations.