150 minors to receive COVID jabs as city pilots pediatric vax rollout

More than 100 minors will be inoculated with Covid-19 vaccines today, Oct 29, 2021 as the Department of Health Region 6 (DOH-6) pilots the pediatric vaccination in Iloilo City.

According to Dr. Marigold Calsas of the City Health Office, 150 children aged 12 to 17 years old have pre-registered for the pediatric vaccination. The children will be accompanied by their parents.

The vaccination roll-out will be held at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City following the recommendation of the health department for hospital-based vaccination for minors.

“We will launch the vaccination roll-out for minors on Friday at the St. Paul’s Hospital with 150 minors to be vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines. Most of them have comorbidities,” Calsas said in her presentation on the latest COVID-19 updates in the metro during the meetings, incentives, conventions, events (MICE) Needs Assessment Workshop last October 28, 2021.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has pushed for the inoculation of minors as the city has consistently intensified its COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

“Our children are also vulnerable to the risks of COVID-19 thus they must also have a chance to defend their bodies from its severity,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

After the pilot rollout, the city will also open its vaccination sites on Nov 2 to accommodate more minors.

Meanwhile, data from the CHO showed that 1,828 children aged below 18 years old have been infected with COVID-19, as of October 23, 2021. The number includes 111 active cases.

According to Calsas, most of the children who tested positive for the virus were infected inside their households. (ERS)