Cebu vax sites 'not ready yet' for children's inoculation

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu is not yet ready to vaccinate children 12-17 years old.

Visayas Vaccination Operations Center spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said this during her daily media briefing yesterday amid reports that the vaccination rollout for this age group will start on November 3, 2021.

Loreche explained that among other things, Cebu’s vaccination centers are not yet ready, especially that children with comorbidities and children without comorbidities will be vaccinated separately in one vaccination site.

Aside from this, the vaccination sites should have an ambulance prepared, especially if they are not located in a hospital.

Loreche, also the chief pathologist of Department of Health-7, added that VVOC will make an announcement once the vaccination sites, among others, are ready for the vaccination rollout for the pediatric population.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that the national government aims to complete the COVID-19 vaccination of minors by December 2021.

Currently in its second phase, the pediatric vaccination program was launched in eight selected hospitals in Metro Manila on October 15 and an additional 40 to 50 hospitals throughout the country are expected to conduct the same starting Friday, October 29.

Nationwide Picture

In a post by the National Task Force against COVID-19, Galvez said that there will be 40 to 50 hospitals that will already start conducting the pediatric vaccination.

Loreche, however, said that local health authorities in Cebu are still waiting for a directive from the national government if any hospital here is included in the list.

Galvez, in an interview over CNN’s The Source, said even those without comorbidities may not be inoculated starting early next month.

So far, only Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will still be used among children during the nationwide rollout since only these two brands so far have an Emergency Use Authority (EUA) for 12-17 years old.

Galvez said that with the expanded inoculation, the government will hopefully meet its target of administering 1.5 million shots per day by November 15.

Meanwhile, Cebu City has already enlisted over 7,500 children without comorbidities plus close to a thousand with comorbidities for the vaccination.

Cebu City Health Department officer-in-charge Dr. Jeffrey Ibones said they are looking at conducting inoculations in vaccination sites near hospitals, but not at the hospitals themselves.

This is after acting mayor Michael Rama anticipates hesitation from parents to bring their children to hospitals which they might deem as “unsafe.”

Ibones said they were given a favorable response by the DOH, provided that aside from proximity to hospitals, they also have an ambulance on standby and a medical team, preferably with a pediatrician, to handle the children. — Caecent N. Magsumbol, JMD  (FREEMAN)