No Covid jabs yet for aged 5-11, says DOH
THE Department of Health (DOH) stressed Friday, December 24, that coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 are not yet available despite the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a statement, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the approval of the emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer vaccine for those aged 5 to 11 does not automatically mean the availability of the jabs.
“While FDA has already given EUA for Pfizer vaccines for this age group, we would like to clarify that we are not yet administering Covid-19 vaccines for 5 to 11 years old,” said Vergeire.
She said this is because the government will still need to procure Pfizer vaccines with lower concentration and dose suitable for 5 to 11 years old.
Vergeire also said that the guidelines for the administration of Covid-19 vaccines for 5 to 11 years old have yet to be released by the DOH.
On Thursday, December 23, the FDA announced the issuance of the EUA for Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for the 5 to 11 age group.
Pfizer’s vaccine is the first in the country to get EUA for the 5 to 11 age group.
Based on the estimated figures last November, there are around 13.5 million children aged 5 to 11 year old that would be eligible for the vaccines. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)
