Food and Drug Administration Director-General Eric Domingo said the government has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the Covid-19 to be used among children aged five years to 11 years.
“We have really seen that it is reasonable to believe that the vaccine may be effective to prevent Covid-19 and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks,” he said.
He added the jab has a high efficacy rate – above 90 percent – and its adverse events are very mild with no unusual or important safety signals, as shown in the clinical trial.
The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine comes in different brands – Tozinameran and Comirnaty – depending on its country of origin.
The jab for younger children has a lower dosage compared to the one for adults.
“Its concentration is also lower compared to the one being used for adults. The vaccine used by adults and 12- to 17-year-olds will not be used for younger children,” Domingo said.
He said because the Pfizer doses in the country are for adults, the FDA informed the Department of Health and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to procure separate Pfizer jabs for children aged five years to 11 years.
The government has yet to schedule the vaccination of children aged five years to 11 years against Covid-19. The inoculation of children aged 12 years to 17 years began in late October while the administration of booster shots for fully vaccinated adults began first week of December. – PNA
