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Friday, March 29, 2024

No malling for unvaxxed kids below 12 years

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President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday urged local government units to pass an ordinance barring unvaccinated children aged 11 years old and below from going to malls.

No malling for unvaxxed kids below 12 years
FIRST DAY BACK. A boy looks burdened by the face shield and face mask he is wearing on the first day of pilot face-to-face classes at Longos Elementary School in Alaminos City, Pangasinan on Monday. In Milagros, Masbate (right photo), a teacher hears a student reciting from her seat protected with plastic borders as Grade 11 and 12 learners of Mary Perpetua E. Brioso National High School in Tigbao returned to school for the first time in 20 months. DepEd Photos

“I am calling on all LGUs to consider passing ordinances for age restriction for minors who can be allowed to go to the malls,” he said in his talk to the people aired late Monday evening.

“To the parents and guardians of minors who are unvaccinated, please be mindful of the risk. I hope no one among our children will get COVID-19,” the President added.

Duterte said while the economy has reopened as cases remain on the downtrend, unvaccinated minors should not be allowed to go outdoors because they do not have the means to fight the virus.

Earlier in the day, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) also urged parents and guardians not to bring children aged 11 years old and below inside malls during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dr. Benito Atienza, PMA president, made the call despite the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which has prompted calls to ease more quarantine restrictions.

“Regardless of alert levels, we ask the parents not to bring their children inside malls, especially those aged 11 and below,” Atienza said in Filipino. 

“There are no approved COVID-19 vaccines for them yet. They should be brought to parks instead where social distancing can be observed,” he said.

A two-year-old has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, but the Department of Health said this was an isolated case.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the one case should not be interpreted as a need to restrict children from going outside.

Some 400,000 minors belonging to the 12-17 age group have already got their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

The government started its pediatric inoculation program on Oct. 15 for those with comorbidities, and on Nov. 3 for all minors in the 12-17 age group.

Government data show that there are 12.7 million children ages 12 to 17 in the country, with 1.2 million of them having comorbidities. The government is targeting to vaccinate 80 percent or about 10 million of them by December 2021.

The government is planning to expand its pediatric vaccination program for children below 12 years old next year. 

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