‘Wag na patagalin: Mike Defensor wants 12- to 15-year-olds vaccinated vs COVID-19

By Billy Begas

Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor on Sunday called for the early COVID-19 vaccination of high-risk Filipino children aged 12 to 15 years old as soon as the country is assured of a larger monthly supply of vaccines.

“Assuming the National Task Force Against COVID-19 succeeds in negotiating with foreign manufacturers the delivery of 25 million doses per month, we should start immunizing vulnerable children in the 12 to 15 age group by October, alongside the general adult population,” Defensor said.

Defensor said children with suppressed immune systems and those with underlying health conditions such as asthma, should be vaccinated ahead.

Based on records, Defensor said 12.4% of Filipino children, mostly from low-income families, are afflicted with asthma.

“Children who are living with senior citizens may also be prioritized to receive shots, even if the seniors in the household have been fully vaccinated,” Defensor added.

Local governments across the country have been reporting an increasing number of children getting ill due to COVID-19.

In Quezon City, for instance, among the new COVID-19 cases recorded from August 1 to 7, 318 cases were children aged 17 and below, according to the city’s epidemiology and disease surveillance unit.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use authorization (EUA) of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use on Filipino children aged 12 to 15, which corresponds to the age group of junior and senior high students.

Defensor earlier filed House Bill 9200, which seeks to grant additional tax benefits to private entities paying for the COVID-19 vaccines of the country’s 23 million school children, including those below 12 years old, once shots are approved for their age groups.

The bill seeks to expressly include COVID-19 jabs as qualified donations under the 23-year-old Adopt-a-School Program, a program established by Congress to mobilize private funds in addressing the school system’s persistent resource gaps.

Under the program, donors of qualified materials and supplies for public schools may further deduct from their gross income up to 150 percent of the value of their contribution.