Ex-DOH chief Garin questions vaccination of teens in hospitals

Iloilo Representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin on Wednesday questioned the anti-COVID vaccination drive for minors being done inside hospitals, saying inoculations should be done in public centers.

In a television interview, Garin said it is risky to expose minors in a hospital setting where high COVID-19 transmission usually takes place.

"The hospitals, as we have known, is one of the main petri dishes of the [coronavirus] transmission, ibig sabihin doon maraming nagkakahawaan... 'yung may sakit, magpapakonsulta, 'yung may nararamdaman 'di pa niya alam na COVID, doon magpapakonsulta," Garin told CNN Philippines.

(Hospitals are among places with high risk of coronavirus transmission. Those who are ill or those who don't know yet that they have COVID-19, go there to have themselves checked.)

"I really don't see the logic why we have to unnecessarily expose our teenagers especially those with comorbidities in a hospital setting," she added.

Garin also said hospitals are enclosed and are already full with patients.

"This will overload our already overloaded hospitals. I believe we are the only country vaccinating our teens in hospitals,  because vaccination is supposed to be outside," she pointed out.

GMA News Online reached out to the Department of Health for its comment on Garin's remark, but has yet to reply as of posting time.

As of October 18, a total of 1,509 minors with comorbidities aged 15 to 17-years-old were vaccinated against COVID-19.

Initially, eight hospitals have been used for the first week of the rollout of pediatric vaccination, but the government is mulling to add more hospitals for the purpose.

Earlier, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they have received reports that some of the minors experienced side effects. She clarified the data is not official as the DOH has yet to complete the assessment. —LBG/RSJ, GMA News