“While FDA has already given EUA for Pfizer vaccines for this age group, the government will still need to procure Pfizer vaccines with lower concentration and dose suitable for 5 to 11 years old,” the department said in a statement.
“Additionally, guidelines for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines for 5 to 11 years old have yet to be released,” it added.
Negotiations for the purchase of Pfizer shots for children aged five to 11 are underway, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 23) — The country’s Food and Drug Administration has approved administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to children 5 to 11 years old.
“We are now negotiating for the availability of those vaccines…for our children,” Galvez told reporters in an interview on Thursday.
There are around 13.5 million children aged 5 to 11 in the country, based on estimates in November, the DOH said. It added the National Vaccination Operations Center will release updated figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority once available.
Pfizer’s shot is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the Philippines for younger children.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo on Thursday assured it may be effective to protect the children against COVID-19, adding the benefits outweigh the known and potential risks.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the vaccination of kids aged five to 11 will only begin once prescribed doses are available and the guidelines issued.
He added the government has to procure a specific dose to be used by younger children. It will be a 10-microgram dose, smaller than the 30-microgram dose used to vaccinate individuals 12 years old and above.
“Hindi siya kapareho ng dosage na binibigay sa adults. Ito ay mas mababang dosage,” Domingo said in a government-led Laging Handa briefing. “Ang concentration din ng vaccine ay mas mababa kaysa sa ginagamit sa adults ngayon.”
[Translation: It is not the same dosage as the ones given to adults, it is a lower dosage. The concentration in the vaccine is also lower compared to what’s injected in adults.]The Department of Health (DOH) said the vaccination of kids aged five to 11 will only begin once prescribed doses are available and the guidelines issued.
Pfizer previously said its COVID-19 vaccine generated a “robust” antibody response in children ages 5 to 11.
