Vaccination for children aged five to 11 will be far safer as practitioners who are experts on pediatric medicine infused additional parameters, thus enhancing the existing guidelines, a health official said on Tuesday.

Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas chief pathologist, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said they have just concluded a series of meetings with the Cebu chapter members of the Philippine Pediatric Society on the enhanced guidelines.

“They have provided guidelines –a better enhancement of the general guidelines. We are glad as we really thanked and congratulated our pediatricians who are very much actively involved in the vaccination drive for the five to 11,” Loreche said in a Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) presser.

As vaccine doses intended for the children aged five to 11 are yet to arrive here, Loreche said the Central Visayas region is preparing for the rollout.

The vaccine doses for this youngest age group eligible for inoculation is a reconstituted form or a differently formulated type of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine for the age group to be administered with 10 micrograms at 0.2 milliliters.

In the meantime that the region is waiting for the vaccine doses, Loreche urged local government units as well as parents that have children under this age group to be ready in case inoculation starts.

“One of the concerns is on those children with comorbidities. If they have ailment in the heart, lungs or kidney or having diabetes or undergoing cancer treatment or contracted HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or autoimmune disease. These children with comorbidities must be inoculated in hospitals,” she said.

Before this age group with pre-existing medical conditions can get their Covid-19 vaccines, they must be covered with medical clearance from their attending doctor, Loreche said.

She said parental consent is required only for children aged five to seven years, while kids from five to 11 years old will be asked to “assent” for the inoculation, apart from consent requirement.

Consenting parents, she said, will be required to bring the birth certificate of their child scheduled for inoculation and will be asked to present proof of identification to validate his or her relation to the child.

With the successful rollout of inoculation for children aged five to 11 in the National Capital Region, Loreche said Region 7 localities are also hoping for its positive result. (PNA)