Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) commenced the vaccination of minors with comorbidities on Friday catering first to the children of hospital employees.
This is in line with the vaccination rollout for 12-17-year-old children with comorbidities (pediatric).
Dr. Ricardo Audan, officer-in-charge of SPMC, told Edge Davao that the hospital has targeted to inoculate 200 minors plus those unvaccinated parents.
“Ang among target is 200 in the sense that one plus one, isa ka bata at isa ka ginikanan. Kung daghanon namo basin mag crowded na. So nag allocate mi ug 200 for today,” he said.
Audan said there are already more than 400 individuals who registered in the hospital’s online platform. He also emphasized that the inoculation was intended for SPMC employees and their children with comorbidities.
He said the common comorbidities among the children inoculated on the first day were with asthma, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Audan said Friday’s vaccination rollout was generally successful.
“Very successful in terms of the whole process of vaccination probably because it’s the same process with the adults, so kabalo nami ug ang weaknesses namo sauna nahimong strength na namo karon,” he said.
Apart from SPMC, vaccination for children are conducted in the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC), and the Seamen’s Hospital in R. Castillo.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force,Schlosser added that the master listing will be done by the city’s vaccination cluster and that vaccination of minors is dependent on the availability of Pfizer and Moderna anti-Covid-19 vaccines.
Moderna and Pfizer have an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the A3 pediatric population: adolescents aged 12 to 17. Children under A3 are those with underlying medical comorbidities and at risk of severe COVID-19. These are children identified with medical complexities, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic or endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV, or tuberculosis.
