BY IME SORNITO AND GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 6 supports the immunization of learners against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
But DepEd-6 will first obtain clearance from their central office, according to Director Ramir Uytico.
They need guidelines in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Hihintayin natin,” Uytico said, pointing out sufficient vaccines must also be available.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 jabs for children aged 12 to 17.
Sinovac has also sought FDA’s approval on its use for children three years old and above.
As of Sept. 9, data from DepEd-6 showed 1,491,186 enrollees in public and private schools, state universities and colleges/local universities and colleges, Alternative Learning System, and Special Education for school year 2021-2022.
PRE-REGISTER
The Iloilo City government, meanwhile, is calling on children 12 to 17 years old to pre-register for their possible inclusion in the vaccination program.
Iloilo City’s COVID-19 Team spokesperson Jeck Conlu said as early as last month, the city started pre-registering children.
Previously, Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the City Population Office to identify 12 to 17 year olds and secure their parents ’consent for vaccination.
Conlu said children can register with the guidance of their parents and guardians through their respective barangays and the city’s various registration sites which are located in malls and plazas.
So far, Conlu saidm they are yet to gather the data as to how many children have already pre-registered.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., on the other hand, said he was ready to make adjustments should the national government include children to its vaccination program.
Although the provincial government has yet to start listing the children population, Defensor believes many are interested to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, DOH-6 spokesperson, Dr. Daphynie Teorima said the decision of the government on whether to allow the vaccination of minors would be based on studies.
“We don’t have further data regarding this. Ang iya lang ‘ni nga implications as of the moment relatively safe sia for the age group,” said Teorima.
For now, she added that the priorities for vaccination are healthcare workers, senior citizens, adults with comorbidities, and economic frontliners.
“Senior citizens and adults with comorbidities are persons who are mostly occupying our healthcare utilization. Ang aton nga mga bata mild and asymptomatic cases… although there are some instances gid man nga naga-severe or critical illness man sila,” Teorima added.
In other countries, there were already children who started receiving Pfizer vaccine.
The national government earlier mulled inoculating minors, with National Inter-Agency Task Force chairman and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez saying it may begin by end of this month or October depending on supplies and go-signal from experts./PN
