NTF, pinag-aaralan na ngayon na makasama ang 12-17 yrs old na mga kabataan sa vaccination program ng pamahalaan

PINAG-AARALAN na ngayon ng National Task Force Against Covid-19 na makasama ang mga kabataan na may edad na 12-17 taong gulang sa vaccination program ng pamahalaan.

Pinagbatayan ni Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. ang patuloy na pagdating ng mga bakuna laban sa Covid- 19 sa bansa.

Tugon na rin ito ni Galvez sa ulat na may mga kabataan na may kumplikadong kaso ng coronavirus naka-admit ngayon sa pediatric Covid-19 ward ng Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

“We have reported this to the President (Rodrigo Duterte) during our talk to the people and we have stated that during the Delta attack in India, more than 9,000 in a village were children. We proposed to the NITAG (interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group) we have to include children as soon as possible considering they will also be vulnerable, particularly children with comorbidities. We have seen in PGH the three critical there, dalawa doon may comorbidities. Very vulnerable and bata kasi nakikita natin hindi pa ganun kalakas kanilang resistensya in terms of pulmonary diseases,” ayon kay Galvez sa isang panayam matapos dumating sa bansa ang 326,400 doses ng Moderna vaccine sa Terminal 3 ng Ninoy Aquino International Airport sa Pasay City.

“We are trying to look and maybe by the end of September or October, we will open up pediatrics and adolescent vaccination. Meron kami nine-negotiate na (We are negotiating for) more or less 26 million doses intended for our pediatrics vaccination,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Aniya pa, ang “age group” na target nilang makasama sa vaccination program ay 12 hanggang 17 taong gulang.

“Initially ang nakita natin we will start from 12 to 17. Sa ngayon ang priority population is 18 and above. Pfizer applied for EUA (emergency use authorization) with our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and FDA already approved it, and Sinovac has already applied, most likely it will be approved by FDA. Three years and above ang Sinovac. Once we have enough supply of those vaccines, we can start for as long as the experts will allow their use for the 12 years and above and maybe three years and above,” paliwanag nito.

Samantala, ang bagong dating na Moderna vaccines, 224,400 doses aay para sa pamahalaan habang ang natitirang 102,000 doses ay parasa port operator ng International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).

“Ang bibigyan nito ay ang areas na mayroong surge dito sa Metro Manila considering na ang Moderna nakita natin limited lang ang volumes ngayon. Ang concentration to fight the variant will be in NCR and other surge areas,” aniya pa rin.

Sinabi pa ni Galvez, na ang natitirang unvaccinated medical front-liners (A1), senior citizens (A2), and persons with comorbidities (A3) ay magiging priority groups sa bagong deliver na bakuna.

Sa Kalakhang Maynila na kasalukuyan ngayong nasa enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), sinabi ni Galvez na 90,000 doses ng Moderna ang ilalaan para makamit ang target na 4 million jabs paara mapaangat ang inoculation program sa panahon ng lockdown period na mula AgostoAug. 6-20.

“Once we receive two doses, it has a tremendous effect on the variants. Even on the Delta variant, it prevents severe and critical cases, and even death. Malaki ang impact ng vaccination natin . It really saves lives and the vaccines can beat all the variants,” aniya pa rin.

Sinabi nito na “as of Aug. 8,” ang kabuuang bilang ng vaccine doses na naiturok sa bansa ay umabot na sa24,174,821, may 13 milyong Filipino naman ang nakatanggap ng first dose habang 11 milyon naman ang fully vaccinated.

Samantala, sinabi ni Galvez na may 14.7 milyong doses pa ng Covid-19 vaccines ang inaasahan na darating sa bansa ngayong buwan. (Daris Jose)