The government said the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 will push through on Feb. 7 despite a pending case before a Quezon City lower court.
In a joint statement, the Department of Health and the National Task Force against coronavirus disease 2019 (NTF-COVID-19) said they recognize the parents’ right to file a case and they will wait for the legal process to take its course.
“However, as far as the national government is concerned, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect all sectors of society, which include children and other vulnerable groups,” the statement read.
“As such, we will proceed with the vaccination rollout.”
The QC regional trial court has set a Feb. 8 hearing on the petition filed by two parents who oppose a DOH policy that allows the state to authorize the vaccination of children over the objections of their parents.
The two parents, Dominic Almelor, a former broadcaster and father of a 7-year-old boy, and Girlie Samonte, mother of two boys aged 7 and 9, are being represented by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
The DOH and NTF said the rollout for young children was the result of careful study by health experts and has been approved in many countries, including the United States.
The agencies noted that no adverse events were recorded among the over 9 million minors aged 12 to 17 years old who have been vaccinated with at least one dose, since their vaccination rollout began in October 2021.
“In the Philippines, we have already recorded over 100,000 pre-registrations for the vaccination rollout for children aged 5 to 11. This number signifies the willingness and confidence of parents to have their children vaccinated against the deadly virus,” their statement read.
They also pointed out that “parental consent forms are required for all minors” who will be vaccinated, and that extra measures have been taken to ensure their safety.
They said the vaccines that will be used for the 5 to 11 years old are reformulated, meaning the dosage is lower compared to those given to the older age groups.
“Vaccinating them is crucial to achieve our goal of protecting all members of the Filipino family—children, adults, and senior citizens. This will enable us to continue the safe reopening of schools and other public spaces, as well as ensure the full economic recovery of our nation,” they said.
The program, which will start with a pilot run in Metro Manila, will be rolled out nationwide on Feb.14, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, head of the National Vaccination Operations Center, said.
Some 780,000 Pfizer jabs for children aged 5 to 11 were scheduled to arrive yesterday after a third party logistics partner failed to load it onto a plane Thursday.
Another batch of some 780,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine is set to be delivered on Feb. 9, Cabotaje added.
Some 160,000 children, including 100,000 in Metro Manila, have so far registered for vaccination, she said.
The DOH earlier held town hall meetings where health care workers explained to parents that benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks, Cabotaje said.
For her part, PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, who stirred controversy recently by admitting she has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, said she would represent the two parents personally.
“I will be the one to represent the plaintiffs on Feb. 8,” she told the Manila Standard.
The hearing will tackle the petition for a temporary restraining order to stop the DOH implementation of the directive issued by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, she said.
Almelor and Samonte earlier filed an extremely urgent petition for certiorari, prohibition, declaratory relief, and injunction.
Acosta hit Duque, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire and those from the Department of Health’s Public Health Services Team over Duque’s issuance of Department Memorandum No. 2022-0041 last Jan. 24.
Under the order, Duque designated the Department of Social Welfare and Development or its city or municipal counterparts to act as a substitute parent or guardian of a “willing” child whose parent or guardian refuses to have the child inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Almelor, who himself is fully vaccinated with Moderna mRNA, said he fears for the life of his son should he allow the boy’s vaccination with the DOH’s waiver on liability in case of a serious illness, permanent disability, or death.
Samonte claimed her son is suffering a lifetime series of seizures based on medical findings after receiving the “experimental” Dengvaxia vaccine in 2017.
Acosta said Department Memorandum No, 2022-0041 is “unconstitutional and contrary to law.”
“It was issued in grave abuse of discretion, encroaching upon the power of the legislature to enact laws reflecting policies of the government, such as mandatory vaccination, and the power of the courts to suspend or deprive parents or guardians of parental authority over their children,” she said.
“This is forced COVID-19 vaccination,” she said.
Acosta said Republic Act No. 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 reveals red flags that the vaccines are experimental in nature and serious adverse effects may occur, and that public officials and employees, manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms and other persons and entities responsible for the mass vaccination program are immune from suit and liability.
Acosta, Almelor, and Samonte, however, clarified they are not anti-vaccines, saying they prefer a protein-based vaccine against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Dr. Antonio Pascual, head of the COVID-19 vaccination team at the Philippine Heart Center, said adverse effects from the vaccine are rare.
“There have been a lot of studies, especially abroad, in the US, to say that these adverse reactions are rare and do not really count as to be considered of concern in this vaccination,” said Pascual.
PHC is one of the three medical facilities in Quezon City that will serve as a vaccination site for young children when the jab program rolls out on Monday.
