SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian urged the government to accelerate the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 as the country observed World Immunization Week 2022.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture stressed the urgency to ensure high Covid19 vaccination coverage among children, saying only 18.59 percent of children aged 5 to 11 have received their first dose as of April 17.

This is equivalent to more than 2.6 million vaccinated children in the age group.

To accelerate Covid19 vaccination, the lawmaker called on the National Task Force Against Covid19, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Education to ramp up efforts in promoting vaccination in schools.

Gatchalian said the government should ensure that at least 70 percent of children aged 5 to 11 are vaccinated ahead of the opening of School Year 2022-2023.

A high vaccination rate is crucial in further expanding face-to-face classes nationwide, he said.

“Habang patuloy ang pagsisikap nating paramihin ang mga paaralang lumalahok sa limited face-to-face classes, dapat paigtingin din natin ang pagbabakuna kontra Covid19 para sa mga kabataang may edad na 5 hanggang 11,” Gatchalian said.

“Kung mababakunahan natin ang mas maraming kabataan laban sa Covid-19, mas matitiyak natin ang kanilang kaligtasan kung makalahok na sila sa face-to-face classes,” he added.

The NTF earlier said that it aims to vaccinate 15.56 million children aged 5 to 11.

The DepEd reported earlier this year that some 14 million learners in the said age group are eligible for Covid19 vaccination.