MANILA, Philippines — The health department has recommended the delaying of the vaccination of children, citing the limited supply of COVID-19 jabs and the need to prioritize the country's adult population.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the status of the supply of COVID-19 vaccines should be considered before deciding on whether to start the inoculation of persons aged 12 to 17. He noted that for now, only the vaccine developed by American firm Pfizer has an emergency use authorization that covers individuals aged 12 to 17.
"That's why the recommendation of the DOH (Department of Health) to still give priority to the vaccination of adults based on our prioritization framework stays," Duque said during a meeting of the government's pandemic task force last Monday.
"We are aware of the scarcity in the global supply of vaccines and even if we start the vaccination of children, the country's present supply won't be enough," he added.
Duque said more studies on the safety of vaccines especially for children who are immunocompromised have to be conducted. Citing recommendations from the Philippine Pediatric Society, the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, and DOH experts, Duque said the government can consider giving vaccination to children who might be having comorbidities like heart, brain, and kidney diseases.
"Maybe this can help provide additional protection against COVID-19, which causes deaths," the health chief said.
Duque also cited the cocoon concept, wherein unvaccinated children are protected if the adults who are living with them are inoculated.
"Our experts recognize the effect of ring vaccination...We have to vaccinate the population that will pave the way to a wider vaccine protection. The vaccination of adults is also good for the children. Let us remember that," Duque said.
"That is why while we still lack supplies, we recommend that we prioritize the adults first," he added.
Food and Drug Administration director general Eric Domingo said senior citizens and adults with comorbidities are still facing greater pandemic risks compared to children. He noted that more adults are getting sick of or are dying of COVID-19.
"We still need to prioritize the older people because the possibility of them having a severe disease and dying from COVID is 13 times more compared to younger people," Domingo said.
Last Sunday, vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government is considering starting the vaccination of persons aged 12 to 17 by the end of September or October. He pointed out that children are vulnerable to the disease because their resistance against pulmonary diseases is not that strong.