DOH discourages walk-in COVID-19 vaccination for kids aged 5 to 11

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday discouraged walk-in COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 to prevent crowding at vaccination sites.

“Hinihikayat po namin iwasan ang pag walk-in at magparehistro upang maiwasan ang pag o-overcrowd sa ating health center na maaring magdulot ng pagkalat ng virus,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a media briefing.

(Please avoid enrolling as walk-ins in order to prevent overcrowding at health centers, as this could lead to the spread of the virus.)

Vergeire said the rollout is set to begin in Metro Manila on February 4 in hospitals such as the National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and the Philippine Heart Center.

The rollout will then move to other areas in the region the afternoon.

Parents or guardians must bring documents showing their relationship with the kid, as well as proper identification, to the vaccination facility, according to government guidelines.

In the event that parents are unavailable, guardians must present a special power of attorney. If this cannot be obtained, they need to bring a notarized authorization letter, an affidavit, or a certification signed by the barangay captain.

Vergeire also reminded the public to wear face masks and to observe social distancing at the vaccination sites.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said that adverse events following vaccination are rare.

However, she said mild side effects are expected, such as pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, and headache.

“Batay sa isang pagsusuri, ang COVID-19 vaccine para sa 5 to 11 years old ay may 91% efficacy. Lumabas din po sa nasabing pag-aaral na walang malubhang side effect,” she said.

(Based on a study, the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 has a 91% efficacy. It also showed that there were no severe side effects.)

Vergeire added that the side effects would be gone within two to three days.

“Bagamat lumalabas na less severe ang COVID-19 cases sa pediatric age, maari pa rin sila mahawaan ng COVID-19 na maaring maka resulta sa hospitalization or admission sa intensive care unit,” she said.

(Even though data shows that COVID-19 cases are less severe in the pediatric age, they can still get infected, which may result in hospitalization or admission to the intensive care unit.)

“Kung sila naman po ay nabakunahan na sa COVID-19, mainam na magantay ng 14 araw o dalawang linggo bago po magpabakuna sa ibang sakit upang maayos natin ma-monitor ang anything na magre-reaction ng katawan,” she added.

(It's best to wait 14 days or two weeks after they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 before getting vaccinated against other illnesses so we can monitor their body's reactions.) — VBL, GMA News