Naga, BMC to pilot child vax on Nov. 5
By Jason B. Neola
The Naga City government’s Health Emergency Response Task Force (HERTF) is set to conduct a meeting any time this week with Schools Division Superintendent Mariano de Guzman and other officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the city to thresh out matters regarding the planned undertaking of school-based vaccination of students in the next few days.
As this developed, the City Health Office is now readying the Naga City Mega Vaccination Site (Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum) for an earlier vaccination rollout on Friday, Nov. 5, with children whose ages range from 12-17 years old as vaccinees.
City Health Officer Vito Borja, MD, said that the inoculation program, which will go on consecutively for several days along with the regular conduct of immunization for adults, targets more or less 10,000 children.
A similar activity will also be conducted at the Bicol Medical Center (BMC) by the doctors, nurses, and midwives of the premier government hospital in Bicol Region.
Dr. Joey Rañola, BMC Infectious Diseases specialist, said on Saturday, Oct. 30, that they are expecting at least 500 vaccinees on the first day of the BMC’s mass inoculation. “The BMC as pilot area for vaccination of pediatric age group among government hospitals in Bicol is now preparing a list of eligible recipients,” he said.
COVID-19 JABS FOR KIDS Children 12 to 17 years old accompanied by their parents and guardians are expected to troop to the Naga City Mega Vaccination Site (JMR Coliseum) on Nov. 5 for mass Covid-19 vaccination. A separate batch of some 500 youngsters will also undergo similar vax jabs at the Bicol Medical Center on the same day. JBN/REY BAYLON/CEPPIO
With Pfizer and Moderna vaccines now readily available for the scheduled inoculation, Rañola said that they are going to inoculate children with and without comorbidity, provided that those with comorbidity should present a certification from his/her pediatrician and a parent’s consent, while those without comorbidity are required to present only a parent’s consent. The same rule applies to vaccinees in the city’s mega vaccination site.
The Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration has recommended Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as ideal vaccines for children.
Parents or guardians accompanying their children or wards are required to bring with them their vaccination cards. Unvaccinated parents or guardians will be included in the vaccination rollout, Borja, said.
Borja said that under general community quarantine, children are prohibited to enter malls, restaurants, parks and playgrounds but once they are vaccinated even a single dose, the restriction will be lifted and they will be allowed to enter such establishments.
As of Oct. 25, out of 209,107 Nagueños, 62,148 have been inoculated with first dose while 47, 059 are now fully vaccinated.