The Manila Health Department (MHD) has intensified its pediatric vaccination drive against COVID-19 on children ages 5 to 11 years old in the different vaccination sites of the city, the department said during the weekend.
Among the vaccination sites are Manila Zoo, San Nicolas Health Center, Dimasalang Health Center, V. Fugoso Health Center, San Sebastian Health Center, Dapitan Health Center, and F. Lanuza Health Center, as well as several other sites in the different barangays in the City of Manila.
Several vaccination sites have also opened in several schools and malls in Manila. As of March 2022, the MHD has administered more than 24,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to children, according to the department.
Of the total, around 2,000 children have been fully vaccinated, while the rest, or more than 22,000, have already received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. More than 3,300,000 vaccines have been administered in Manila for both kids and adults.
A total of 736,880 children aged 5 to 11 years old have been inoculated against Covid-19 since the pediatric vaccination started on February 7, a health official said on Tuesday.
“Inaasahan po natin na tataas pa ito sa darating na mga linggo kaya po ang lahat ng mga magulang at legal guardian ay amin pong hinihikayat na magparehistro na para sa kanila pong mga anak para sa karagdagang proteksiyon para sa lalong madaling panahon (We expect the numbers to rise in the coming weeks so we encourage parents and legal guardians to register their children for additional protection immediately),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said recently during an online media forum.
Meantime, about 9.5 million adolescents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Department of Health (DOH) also said almost 10 million Filipinos have received so far received booster shots.
It assured the public that all vaccines administered as booster shots are of good quality and can provide additional protection against hospitalization or even death due to COVID-19.
“Those who were vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Gamaleya Sputnik V, and light, Moderna and Pfizer, Sinopharm and Sinovac can now receive their booster shots after three months and two months if you were vaccinated with Jansen,” Vergeire said.