An infectious disease expert on Tuesday advised parents to talk to trusted health professionals and not rely on social media for information, as the country prepares for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11.
“It’s better to talk to a health professional that you trust… rather than relying on social media because there may be misinformation,” said Dr. Timmy Gimenez, chairman for vaccination at the Philippine Pediatric Society.
Gimenez assured parents that most side effects are minor, such as pain at the injection site, fever or a headache, nothing that would necessitate a trip to the emergency room.
She also stressed that the benefits of vaccination outweigh any risks.
Gimenez said so far, about 1,000 patients of PPS have registered for vaccination.
The inoculation of children 5 to 11 will be rolled out in sixvaccination sites in Metro Manila on Friday, Feb. 4.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said a total of 168,355 children ages five to 11 have already registered for vaccination in their local government units.
The government said it aims to inoculate some 15 million children in this age group against COVID-19.
Children with comorbidities will be prioritized, said Dr. Ted Herbosa, and advisor to the government’s pandemic response task force.
Herbosa said only children with preexisting medical conditions need to present a medical certificate from their doctors while others will be assessed just before vaccination.
Gimenez said while children aged 5 to 11 have a stronger immune system, this needs to be reinforced with a vaccine as they do not have a natural resistance against COVID-19.
“There is no such thing as natural resistance. All of us are susceptible to catching the virus. But children do better than adults in fighting the virus,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Getting children vaccinated is still the best way to protect them from the possibility of getting severe COVID-19, Gimenez said.
She also said children must also get vaccinated against other diseases such as measles.
“My call to parents is that if your children have not been given these vaccines, please contact our local government centers because there’s a massive campaign to catch up,” she said.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos urged parents to strictly monitor their children when they are outdoors as Metro Manila goes to the less restrictive COVID-19 Alert Level 2.
“We are appealing again to the parents or guardians to take the responsibility of monitoring their minor companion since there isn’t any age restriction for those who wish to go outdoors,” he added.
Following the downgrade, Carlos said the police force is set to recalibrate its action plan in the region and seven other areas under Alert Level 2.
“We advise our unit commanders to verify the adjustments in policies that the LGUs may implement in their locality,” he said.
Under Alert Level 2, establishments are allowed to operate at a maximum of 50 percent indoor venue capacity and 70 percent outdoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals.