Koronadal City— After more than a month when vaccination for children aged 5-17 years old started, the Integrated Provincial Health Office reported that 211, 604 children in South Cotabato are already vaccinated against the COVID 19 as of March, 2022.
Hannah Ebeo, Health Education Promotions Officer, confirmed during the recent video series Bakuna Serye that children are more eager than adults to receive vaccination dose made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
“They are very excited to join a long line-up of vaccination because they wanted to go back to school,” Ebeo said.
The Department of Education readies schools and teachers for the face-to-face classes, but at the moment they have conducted piloted classes especially in areas with no cases of COVID 19 in the past months.
Ebeo said symptoms of COVID 19 infection among children are the same with adult symptoms.
However, she said that the impact of novel virus is much stronger to children since their resistance or immune system is not fully develop yet.
Common symptoms of COVID 19 among children are cough, fever, colds and sometimes convulsion due to high fever, Ebeo explained.
According to the Department of Health Guidelines, this age group receives two doses of the COVID 19 vaccines. There is no finality as to the booster doses for children, Ebeo stressed out.
For children with health issues, the vaccination team looks for a medical certificate. Parents or guardians are needed during vaccination. Documents like birth certificate, parent’s ID and parent’s consent form are presented upon vaccination.
“The parent’s consent is a proof that the parents are allowing their children to receive COVID 19 vaccine. This form does not say that whatever happens after the vaccination the government has no responsibility in the advent of adverse effects after vaccination,” Ebeo pointed out to counter rumors about the use of the consent form.
The consent form, she said, is a proof that the vaccination team explains the type of vaccine that is given and the symptoms that the child might experiences after vaccination.
“The forms is an evidence that the parents understand what the team is explaining,” Ebeo further added.
