AROUND 1,151 minors aged 15 to 17 received Covid19 jabs on the first day of the pediatric vaccination in the country, the National Task Force Against Covid19 announced on Saturday.

“Today marks another important phase in our national vaccination program, as we start inoculating our younger population and move closer towards our goal of achieving population protection, and eventually, herd immunity,” vaccine czar Secretary Galvez Jr. said.

“This occasion is a major development in our vaccination program because if we carry this out successfully, as we have previously done with our priority groups, we shall be able to continue the expansion of our face-to-face classes,” he added.

The government began the rollout in eight hospitals in Metro Manila last October 15 using Pfizer vaccines – one of the two jabs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old.

The hospitals selected to lead the pilot rollout were the National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Pasig City Children’s Hospital, Fe Del Mundo Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

The NTF and Department of Health prioritized adolescents with underlying medical conditions such as medical complexity, genetic condition, neurologic conditions, metabolic or endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV Infection, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory disease, renal disorders, hepatobiliary disease, and immunocompromised due to disease or treatment.

Galvez said Covid19 vaccines were administered in hospitals as the government wants to ensure the safety and welfare of the children.

“Immediate medical attention can be provided to individuals just in case they experience any adverse effect following immunization,” he added, noting that pediatric vaccination will be conducted in a ‘safe, phased, sequential, and monitored’ manner in line with the recalibrated vaccination plan.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III thanked the healthcare workers for their sacrifice in helping the country fight the pandemic.

“Kayo ang kumakalinga. Kayo ang nangangalaga. Kayo ang gumagamot at kayo rin ang sumasalba ng maraming buhay lalo na sa mga naapektuhan ng Covid19 severe and critical infection,” Duque said

“Kaunti man ito sa ating pediatric age group, but we’ll never know because this virus has the potential for mutations. And these mutations can give rise to variants. And these variants can cause extreme problems to all of us,” he added.