(Eagle News) — The COVID-19 national vaccination program for children aged 5 to 11 will kick off on Feb. 14.
According to National Vaccination Operations Center co-lead Dr. Kezia Lorraine Rosario, the pilot, however, is expected on Feb. 7.
Around 1,000 children are expected to be vaccinated during the pilot implementation.
During the nationwide rollout, around 38 vaccination sites in the country are expected.
Rosario urged parents to have their children vaccinated so they can have a layer of protection against COVID-19.
The Department of Health has said the government has secured 30 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11.
The COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 started last year, with children in those categories with comorbidities given priority under the A3 group.
Health authorities have urged the public to avail of the vaccines, noting that they can protect against severe symptoms of COVID-19 and deaths resulting from the virus.