THE FOOD and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for Sinovac’s Covid19 vaccine for children aged six and above.

The move aimed to boost the country’s pediatric vaccination program, FDA Officer-in-Charge Director General Dr. Oscar Gutierrez Jr. said.

Gutierrez said that based on data on the totality of evidence, “it is reasonable to believe that Sinovac jabs may be effective to prevent, diagnose or treat Covid19.”

IB Biotech Group Chairman Enrique Gonzales said that allowing the use of Sinovac vaccine will help the country achieve its goal of inoculating 39 million children.

“We thank the FDA and our vaccine experts for approving Sinovac’s CoronaVac for ages 6 and above,” Gonzales said in a statement.

“Making this vaccine available to the younger age segment is a game changer protecting the country’s youth and preserving recent gains in controlling the pandemic. This will also ensure greater access and vaccine equity for the Philippines,” Gonzales said.

A study in Chile where data gathered from 1.9 million kids aged six to 17 years old indicated that Sinovac’s efficacy is at about 74 percent.

The research also revealed that minors who had contracted Covid19 but had been inoculated with Sinovac avoided hospitalization with an average batting rate of 90 percent, while the brand’s efficacy in preventing intensive care unit hospitalizations and deaths was at 100 percent.

“The data will show that Sinovac is indeed a very safe choice for children and teenagers. This supports the notion on the safety and reliability of inactivated virus vaccines, much like the flu vaccine,” Gonzales said.

The government has used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for pediatric vaccination.