CAGAYAN DE ORO, PHILIPPINES — Over 790 kids were vaccinated during the first vaccine roll out of the city on February 14, 2022. These were children under the pediatric age group 5 to 11.

On February 14 (Monday), Cagayan de Oro City began its first vaccine rollout for kids of ages 5 to 11. The rollout is headed by the Department of Health Region 10 and the Local Government Unit of CDO in coordination with the public and private hospitals and the private sector.

There are many vaccination sites that host the pediatric vaccination, including JR Borja General Hospital and SM Downtown Premier. The DOH-managed sites, on the other hand, are St. Francis Hospital, Polymedic Medical Plaza, and Capitol University Medical center.

These sites have their own ways to calm the kids and reassure them during vaccination. For instance, in the DOH-10 Centrio Ayala mall vaccination site, kids are given free ice cream and cotton candy after vaccination.

The pediatric vaccination schedule is strictly through text only. This means that parents are required to pre-register their children in the COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration website of CDO (https://services.cagayandeoro.gov.ph:8087/vaccprereg/).

According to Dr. Teodoro Yu Jr., the medical officer of the City Health Office, the initial target of the pediatric vaccination is 55,000 kids.

What type of vaccine is being used for kids ages 5 to 11?

The vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech is made specifically for kids under the pediatric age group. Their vaccine contains a lower dose with 10 micrograms, unlike the vaccine for older children and adults with 30 micrograms.

Are there any side effects?

Some kids may experience minor side effects such as hives or headaches. But, in a report by Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, out of the 52,262 vaccinated kids in the Philippines, only 4 experienced minor side effects. – WhatALife!

Source: City Information Office