More doses of reformulated Pfizer coronavirus vaccine arrive Wednesday night, beefing up the country’s vaccine inventory intended for children aged 5 to 11 years old.

A total of 780,000 doses, procured by the national government through the World Bank, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, an addition to the 2.3 million reformulated doses the Philippines received this month.

Deputy Peace Adviser Undersecretary Isidro Purisima, representing National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF Against Covid-19) chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., urged parents and guardians to get their children inoculated against the disease.

“We need the vaccine to open up the economy, the classes, especially among children,” said Purisima, who was among the officials that welcomed the latest vaccine delivery.

The vaccine will be used in the ongoing vaccination program for minors 5 to 11 years old. It has a lower dosage and lower concentration than those given to minors aged 12 to 17.

To date, the Pfizer vaccine is used for pediatric vaccination as it is the only jab that has received an emergency use authorization for kids aged 5 to 11 years old from the Food and Drug Administration.

“We thank the US government for helping us again to facilitate the delivery of these vaccines. We also thank the World Bank for its financial assistance,” Purisima said.

In a briefing Wednesday, NTF Against Covid-19 special medical adviser Ted Herbosa said all regions have been allowed to inoculate minors.

“The government is also ramping up the provision of complete doses for adolescents aged 12-17 years old,” Herbosa said, adding that the country has enough vaccine supply.

Based on the Department of Health’s Covid-19 vaccination dashboard, over 128 million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered as of February 9. (PNA)