PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said that children ages 12 to 17 should be given Covid19 booster shot before joining face-to-face classes.

Concepcion made the statement after the government postponed giving Covid19 booster to non-immunocompromised children in the said age group because of the policy laid down by the Health Technology Assessment Council.

“We should allow them to get a booster. They will be going to school [in face-to-face setup] soon, so we should protect them with vaccinations,” Concepcion said.

“We appeal to HTAC to approve it, and also for those aged 50 and above. As it is, many are frustrated because getting vaccinated is the most important step in maintaining immunity,” he added.

“We all have the brands of vaccines in our bodies, so we are the best testament these [vaccines] have no [significant] side effects,” Concepcion said.

Earlier, National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson and Health Undersecretary Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said that healthy children ages 12 to 17 can only have their booster shot if the booster coverage for the senior citizens hit 40 percent.