By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – The sites identified for pediatric vaccination will start receiving the delayed jab deliveries on February 5 just in time for the rollout of five- to 11-year-old inoculation on February 7, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday (Feb. 4).
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said all identified vaccination sites in Metro Manila, Region 3 (Central Luzon), and Region 4-A (Calabarzon) would be operational on that day and would then expand to other regions by February 14.
The pilot was originally set on February 4 but was rescheduled after a third-party logistics partner failed to ship the 780,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses on February 3.
“It has already left Brussels. It was in Hong Kong and it’s going to arrive tonight. Mayroon na rin kaming mga allocation per area depende kung ano ‘yong immediate na na-submit nilang registration (We already have an allocation per area depending on the immediate needs based on the registrations),” Cabotaje said.
The official added that another batch of 780,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses for the five to 11-year-old age group is set to arrive on February 9.
Cabotaje said some 160,000 children aged five to 11 years have so far registered for the pilot in Metro Manila.
Among the initial sites selected in the region are the Philippine Heart Center, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Fil Oil Gym in San Juan City, Manila Zoo, and SM North Edsa. (PNA) -ag
