THE GOVERNMENT should first vaccinate at least 50 percent of its target population before giving jabs to kids aged 5 to 11, according to an official of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines.

PIDSP president Dr. Mary Ann Bunyi said the government should still prioritize senior citizens and people with health risk in Covid19 vaccination since they are at a higher risk of getting severe infection.

“Halimbawa pong ma-reach na natin iyong hinahangad nating 50 to 70 percent na target na mabakunahan itong priority groups natin na A2 and A3, then palagay ko po puwede naman po nang maibigay at masimulan sa mga batang may edad na 5 to 11,” Bunyi explained.

On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

“Doon po sa pag-aaral na ginawa ng Pfizer doon sa America, nakita nila na more than 90 percent ang bisa noong bakuna laban sa Covid19,” Bunyi pointed out.

“Sa usapin naman po kung ligtas ang bakuna, ang sinasabi po doon sa kanilang pag-aaral na ito ay ligtas,” she added.

The government is set to start the vaccination of minors with or without comorbidities on November 3.

Vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are the two jabs approved by the Philippine FDA for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old.

The Department of Health previously said it aims to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the 12.7 million children before the end of the year.