Go urges parents to have their kids vaxxed

MANILA, Philippines —  Sen. Bong Go encouraged parents to get their eligible children inoculated against COVID-19 as the government set the pilot vaccination of those aged five to 11 today.

The start of the vaccination program for young children was moved to today from Feb. 4 due to logistical challenges, according to health authorities.

“Even if the vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory and people cannot be forced (to get vaccinated), we still encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jabs for us to avoid getting seriously ill or die,” Go, who chairs the Senate health committee, said yesterday in Filipino.

Vaccinating children is an important part of the national immunization program, as it provides them with the extra protection they need against the virus, according to the senator. He then reassured parents that the vaccines are effective and safe, and are the best weapon available to safeguard themselves and their families against COVID-19.

“While we recognize that taking vaccines is a personal decision, we urge you to make the best decision for the benefit of not just yourselves, but also your community, particularly your loved ones,” Go said.

The government had already chosen six locations in Metro Manila where reformulated COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to the qualified younger population: the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital and SM North EDSA (Sky Dome) in Quezon City; Manila Zoo in Manila City; and Filoil Arena in San Juan City.

The government aims to vaccinate over 39.4 million children between zero and 17 years old.

As of Feb. 4, the country had administered a total of 128,473,507 vaccines. Around 59.80 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated while 60.65 million individuals have received their first dose.

Meanwhile, 8,012,011 booster shots have been administered. The country has received a total of 217,778,400 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Go also urged public and private sector partners to come up with innovative ways to encourage more eligible people to get their doses.

“The vaccine is critical to us returning to normalcy and overcoming this pandemic as quickly as possible,” he said, reiterating the importance of protecting children and the elderly by getting vaccinated when the opportunity arises.

‘Usurpation’

In a related development, Sen. Imee Marcos has expressed outrage at a Department of Health (DOH) memorandum that enables the government to dismiss parental consent if a child is willing to be vaccinated.

“The government cannot usurp parental authority. Parents have the right to decide on the health and safety of their children,” Marcos said.

The controversial memorandum issued last Jan. 24 states that the government can act as “parens patriae” – Latin for parent of the nation – when a child wants to be vaccinated, but parental consent is denied.

“In case the parent/guardian refuses to give consent to the vaccination despite the desire and willingness of the minor child to have himself/herself vaccinated, or there are no Persons that may legally exercise parental authority over the child, the State may act as parens patriae and give the necessary consent,” the memorandum stated.

“Therefore, the proper officer representing the State as parens patriae may sign the consent form. In this regard, the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) or its city/municipal counterparts shall serve as the proper office who shall represent the State,” it added.

The DOH has a lot of explaining to do, according to Marcos, as she said it is not the first time that the agency “committed a gaffe of such magnitude.”

In March last year, the senator exposed an administrative order of the DOH that sought to block manufacturers of so-called “sin products” from purchasing vaccines amid scarce national supply.

The government announced in December last year that it had bought some 15 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to inoculate children 5 to 11 years old, but logistical problems have moved the start of the vaccination campaign from last Friday to today.

“I hope this push to vaccinate kids is really for their sake and not for the sake of vaccine purchases already made,” Marcos said.

The senator also called attention to a recent statement of the World Health Organization that urges countries to first achieve a high level of vaccination among high-risk groups before starting to vaccinate children 5 to 17 years old.

“Let’s prioritize the elderly and not lose sight of fully vaccinating the most vulnerable groups before rushing to vaccinate healthy kids,” she said.