Metro Manila has started pre-registering minors as the government eyes starting the inoculation of some 12 million children between 12 and 17 years old by mid-October.
“While waiting, our mayors in Metro Manila are now pre-registering kids just in case this gets approved immediately,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said.
National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez earlier said the government will have enough vaccine supply next month given the 23.75 million doses in stock and the 20 million doses expected to arrive by the first week of October.
“We are proposing to open the vaccination for children by mid-October, because with the supply, we can handle vaccinating 12 million people aged 12 to 17,” Galvez said.
He also recommended that children with comorbidities and children of healthcare workers should be inoculated first.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier allowed the emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna for minors aged 12 to 17.
On Sunday, three million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the country.
The doses were transported for packaging to the temperature-controlled supply chain facility owned by Pharmaserv Express in Marikina City upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before sending them on Monday to Southern Tagalog, Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, and other areas with high cases of COVID-19.
The doses to be deployed in Metro Manila will be used for second doses.
As of Sept. 26, the country has administered 43,815,426 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Some 23.6 million Filipinos have received their first dose, while 20.2 million are now fully vaccinated, accounting for 26 percent of the country’s target population.
“Hopefully, before the end of the month we will reach 30 percent of our targeted population,” Galvez said.