Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 14) — Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said the government will eventually broaden its COVID-19 vaccination program to include children and teenagers.
“Darating po ang araw na talagang bibili pa tayo ng additional vaccine para sa ating lower bracket from 17-1 years old which comprises 29 million,” he said during a televised Cabinet meeting Thursday, referring to youngsters aged 1 to 17 years old.
[Translation: Time will come when we will purchase additional vaccine for our lower bracket from 17-1 years old which comprises a population of 29 million]
He also mentioned that countries like the United States and Canada have started the vaccination of children aged 12 and older.
Inoculating a sizeable amount of the population also ensures elimination of the disease, he added.
All vaccines globally are for people aged 18 and above, save for Pfizer which is allowed for 16 years old and up. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines were recently approved in the United States to be used for 12-15 years old.
The Philippines’ vaccine expert panel head Dr. Nina Gloriani on Friday said she is hopeful Pfizer can apply to amend its emergency use authorization in the country to be used on teens and adolescents.
“Pfizer is recommended for 16 years and above, that is the only one that would recommend below 18. It will be for the teens,” she told CNN Philippines.
This week, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to identify their savings from their respective 2020 budget so these may be tapped as additional funds for COVID-19 pandemic response.
Meanwhile, Galvez said the government is expecting the delivery of 7,753,450 COVID-19 vaccines this month, and an additional 10,050,000 in June.
This will bring total vaccine inventory to 21,829,050 by next month, he noted.
Deliveries will come from Pfizer under the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility, Sinovac, Sputnik V, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
Currently, concerns are being raised regarding the “slow” vaccine rollout of the government as coronavirus shots near their expiration.
Authorities, however, have expressed confidence that no dose will be wasted.
Galvez mentioned during the meeting that of the more than 7 million doses the government has received, over 2 million already have been administered, and they are working on dipensing the remaining five million as soon as possible.
Duterte said he wants vaccine doses to be properly handled and administered immediately as they arrive to avoid wastage.
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The government aims to inoculate up to 70 million people by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity.
