HEALTH experts are finalizing the guidelines on the use of Sinovac Covid19 vaccine on children aged 6 to 17, the Department of Health said.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said that the vaccine will most likely be administered on healthy minors.

“Kailangan titingnan natin mabuti kasi ang nasa EUA ng Sinovac ay for healthy individuals, healthy children. So, baka hindi kasama ‘yung ating mga with comorbidities,” Cabotaje said.

Unlike the Pfizer vaccine which must be formulated, she said the same Sinovac dose formulation used on adults will be used on minors.

A study in Chile that involved 1.9 million kids aged six to 17 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 hospitalization and death was at 100 percent.

The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration granted Sinovac vaccine emergency use authorization for children.

Meanwhile, Cabotaje said that the government is considering buying an additional five million doses of Pfizer for adolescents.

“The Sinovac will provide additional quantities for the children and parents who may not want to use the Pfizer and they want to use the Sinovac,” she said.

The government has used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for minors. It aims to vaccinate more than 39 million youngsters aged 17 and below.