Why do they need to pad numbers?
copied from:
https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national ... d=msedgdhp
FDA: Minors to pad vaccination list by 12 million-14 million
Cecille Suerte Felipe
MANILA, Philippines — Some 12 million to 14 million more people would be included in the vaccination program against COVID-19 if the plan to inoculate minors 12 to 17 years old pushes through in September, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
At a public briefing, FDA director general Eric Domingo noted that with the country having a “young population,” many minors would be eligible for vaccination.
Health Secretary Francis Duque III has expressed support for the plan.
“In one age group, for instance, there are around two million children. So if we vaccinate those below 18 years old, that would be an additional 12 to 14 million,” he maintained.
Domingo clarified that not all vaccine brands can be administered to minors. He said so far, only Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved in the Philippines, United States and Europe for individuals above 12 years old.
While Sinovac has been approved for children in China, actual administration of the vaccine on young people has not started.
Sen. Nancy Binay also expressed full support for the plan to vaccinate minors but said the government must manage expectations, considering the low supply of injections and with only one vaccine brand allowed for young people.
The senator agreed that minors must be vaccinated and backed initiatives to include more age groups in the vaccination program.
“But at this point, Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for children. They might raise expectations of many for nothing,” Binay said in Filipino and English.
She said the focus should remain on the vulnerable and essential sectors like drivers of public utility vehicles, street vendors and those on the frontlines and backend service industries as well as senior citizens and those with comorbidities who have to go out of their homes to work.
“Confronted with the vaccine shortage, it’s not also fair to talk about vaccines for minors when those in the priority age groups have yet to be vaccinated. I just hope that the IATF and DOH (Department of Health) can manage people’s expectations with regard the availability of vaccines. So, let’s be more practical and realistic,” she said.
Sen. Bong Go also said minors should be vaccinated, citing the increasing number of young people getting infected with COVID-19.
Citing data from the DOH, he said more than 10 percent of the 6,879 new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 3 were minors.
Go appealed to the public for their continuing strict compliance with health protocols, including those who have already been vaccinated, because of the emergence of the more infectious Delta variant.
“If you love your family and children, get vaccinated… if you are not protected against COVID-19, the virus will find you and it will infect you. Please, we need the cooperation and discipline of each Filipino,” he said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also said she is in favor of including children in the vaccination program as she appealed to vaccine manufacturers to invest more in pediatric trials to resolve safety issues. “Children’s safety should be our highest priority,” she said.
“So far, the WHO (World Health Organization) has confirmed that only one brand is suitable for use on people aged 12 and above, and such brand should be made available to the children who are at high risk,” she said.
“We expect our government authority to be diligent and to anticipate needs, including budget and procurement requirements for suitable vaccines once children are included in our national vaccination program rollout,” she added.