Allaying apprehensions, Galvez vouched for the safety and efficacy of all COVID-19 vaccines in the country. He said vaccination of adolescents has been safely and successfully carried out in the United States.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 30) — Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the initial phase of vaccinating adolescents against COVID-19 will be carried out in select hospitals in Metro Manila due to the controversy that hounded dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
“I would like to make an appeal to our public na gagawin po namin lahat to make sure that our vaccination will be safe. Iyong safety measures ay i-implement po natin,” he said the next day during the arrival of over 1.2 milion doses of Moderna vaccine.
The coronavirus vaccines will be administered at the National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine General Hospital, and two other hospitals in the capital region beginning October, Galvez said. The reason for this is to ensure the safety of the children, he added.
“Gusto namin hospital based para sigurado tayo. Alam natin ang mga tao natin and even our medical practitioners, meron tayong takot ng Dengvaxia syndrome,” Galvez said during the arrival of Pfizer vaccine delivery on Wednesday.
[Translation: I would like to address the public that we will do everything to make sure that our vaccination will be safe. We will implement all safety measures.]
[Translation: We want it done in hospitals just to be sure. We know that the public and even our medical practitioners are wary because of the Dengvaxia syndrome.]
Over 800,000 young Filipino students took part in the Dengvaxia vaccination program in 2016. Drugmaker Sanofi Pasteur later reported that the vaccine was found to be riskier for people not previously infected with the virus, which prompted the Department of Health to stop the nationwide dengue immunization program.
Vaccine supply
This controversy led to low vaccine confidence in the country, which continues to hound the COVID-19 immunization program.
Galvez said this is the reason why the ongoing vaccination program will be gradually extended to children.
The DOH on Wednesday said vaccine supply is also one of the reasons why the government is opting to vaccinate children against COVID-19 on a staggered basis.
Although President Rodrigo Duterte allowed the inoculation of minors aged 12 to 17, Galvez said the initial focus will be on teenagers aged 15 to 17 with health risks and those who are living with healthcare workers.
“Very cautious ang gagawin sa children’s vaccination,” he said. “Gagawin natin itong dahan-dahan, phased, at incremental… Slowly and surely. Yung safety naandon.”
Galvez said 15 million doses of Pfizer and 5 to 7 million doses of Moderna are expected to arrive in the country in October. These are the only brands that have received an approval from the Food and Drug Administration to be used on minors.
[Translation: We will be very cautious when it comes to children’s vaccination. We will do it slowly, in a phased and incremental manner. Slowly and surely so we can ensure safety.]
San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said his city is saving its Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to allot them for children once the pilot run rolls out.
Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro, meanwhile, said Metro Manila mayors are asking the government to provide them with the inventory of vaccines that will be administered to minors so they can prepare their resources.
He added the request includes the deployment of more pediatricians, social workers, and other resources to ensure the safety of children.
The Health department said parents or guardians must give an informed consent for children who will get vaccinated. They must also present a medical certificate proving the minor has comorbidities.
The final and detailed guidelines have yet to be released by concerned agencies.
