Vaccines for the Filipino Youth

Vaccines considered safe for the youth

Recently, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III released a statement regarding the administration of vaccines to those under the age of 18. “I, for one, supply permitting, I wouldn’t mind that we should already start vaccinating children for as long as, first, we prioritize those with comorbidities.” The Center of Disease Control (CDC) recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those aged 12-17. They do not recommend giving doses of other brands such as Moderna and Sinovac as said brands still await clearance for use on the youth.

Benefits of vaccinating the youth

According to the CDC, “Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. People who are fully vaccinated can resume activities that they did prior to the pandemic.” For students under 18 years old, this could mean being able to return to their normal pre-pandemic activities, one of which is going to face-to-face classes. On their website, the CDC recommends those aged above 12 years old to get vaccinated, and assures the public that although there are minor side effects such as headaches, fever and pain in the arm, there are no significant or major risks that can affect those under 18 years old.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones also admitted that the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that has yet to reopen any form of face-to-face classes. “We are the only one, for example in Southeast Asia, that has yet to resume face-to-face because what happened was, with the UK variant, the President worried about sending the children back to schools.” But if more of the youth were to be vaccinated, then we would see a quicker return to physical classes.

Current Vaccination status in the Philippines

As of August 9, 2021, the Philippines has administered almost 25,000,000 vaccine shots. About 13,000,000 have been given their first dose and about 12,000,000 have been given both doses. Those who are senior citizens and those with comorbidities remain on the top of the government’s priority as to who shall receive the vaccine first. However, those under the age of 18 have still not been permitted to be inoculated with the vaccine because the government has yet to give the necessary clearances to vaccine brands for vaccinating minors. With most of the country’s youth still waiting to receive the vaccine, many of them continue to attend online classes while most of the world starts to head back into the classroom. It is imperative, then, that they start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in order for them to also be able to return to their normal lives.