The vaccination rollout for children age five to eleven years old will begin on February 4 which will be done simultaneously in selected locations in Metro Manila, said Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

The vaccination rollout for theage group will initially be done at the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Children's Hospital, Manila Zoo, SM North EDSA (Skydome), and Filoil Gym in San Juan.

“Mahalaga po ito sa ating paghahanda sa muling pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes o pisikal na balik-eskwela,” remarked Nograles in a Palace press briefing on Monday.

Accordingly, the Palace official announced that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines purchased by the Philippine government for the vaccination of children five to 11 years old are expected to arrive this week.

“Dahil ito ay reformulated, ito ay sadyang binili upang eksklusibong gamitin para sa pagbabakuna ng mga bata na nasa edad lima hanggang labing-isang taong gulang lamang,” said Nograles.

The concurrent spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) assured parents that the vaccines which will be used for children in the age group are safe and effective.

“The doses for minors have been reformulated so that these are appropriate for them. Ibig sabihin, mas mababa ang dosage na ituturok sa kanila. Kaya kung available na ang mga ito sa inyong mga lugar, dalhin nyo na po ang inyong mga anak sa vaccination sites at sila’y pabakunahan,” Nograles said.

Meanwhile, among children ages 12 to 17, some 7.5 million are already fully vaccinated, as of January 29, 2022, said the Palace spokesperson.

In total, there are 126,470,538 doses administered nationwide. More than 60.3 million individuals have already received a first dose, while more than 58.7 million are fully vaccinated, as of January 30, 2022, according to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard.

In the same press briefing, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the DOT had taken steps to ensure safe reopening of the tourism industry even before the IATF decided to allow resumption of international travel beginning February 10.

Romulo-Puyat said in tourism destinations in the country workers are 100 percent vaccinated and are already implementing the booster program. She also reiterated that only fully vaccinated leisure travelers from visa-free countries shall be allowed entry to the country, subject to certain conditions. OPS