The Department of Health will be studying the vaccination of young children below 12 years old against COVID-19 now that it has started the inoculation of adolescents 12 to 17 years old.
The statement came after the US Food and Drug Administration said it has authorized the use of the Pfizer vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11.
In an interview on ABS-CBN TeleRadyo, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said studies indicated that unlike adolescents and eligible adults, younger children must only take one third of the COVID-19 vaccine dose.
“Yes, considering that other countries are vaccinating those below 12 [years old]. We will wait for the results of the study,” Cabotaje said in a separate interview on Dobol B TV.
Starting Nov. 3, all minors in the Philippines aged 12 to 17 may get the vaccine.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Saturday the completion of the vaccination of around 12.7 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 against COVID-19 could be achieved in the first quarter of 2022.
A total of 23,727 minors with comorbidities aged 12 to 17 have been vaccinated so far.
Meanwhile, the Philippines aims to partially vaccinate at least 70 percent of the 77.1 million people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by the year’s end, the DOH also said Sunday.
Cabotaje said the country has already administered 35 million first doses and would need to double its effort to hit its 70 percent target.
Official data, however, showed that as of Oct. 28, only 31.4 million first doses have been administered, while those fully vaccinated have reached 26.8 million.
The government aims to fully vaccinate around 77,139,058 people, which accounts for 70 percent of the country's total population, to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.
Cabotaje said last week that only 50 percent of the country's population–the low threshold of the government target–may be fully vaccinated by the end of this year, while the high end target of 70 percent may be achieved in the first quarter of 2022.
The Philippines has received some 105 million doses since March, she added.
The government has also begun inoculating children aged 12 to 17 with health risks and will soon expand the program to include all kids of the same age nationwide.
This aims to encourage the "rest of the adult population," especially the elderly, of whom only 50 percent have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Cabotaje said.
An independent research group attributed the decline in COVID-19 cases to the country's wide vaccination coverage.