TO protect minors with comorbidities from getting infected with the coronavirus, Marikina City Mayor Marcelino ‘Marcy’ Teodoro stressed the importance of vaccinating the youth as the city began Friday the pilot pediatric inoculation of children with comorbidities.

Teodoro together with his wife Marjorie oversee the Phase 2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 at the city’s Mega Vaccination Center located at the Marikina Sports Center.

Aside from protecting them from getting infected, such will prepare them for the implementation of limited face-to-face classes.

“Importante, una, para maproteksyonan sila laban sa COVID, lalo na ngayon na pinapayagan na natin ang intrazonal travel ng mga bata na may kasamang magulang,” Teodoro said.

“Mahalaga para makapag-establish tayo ng herd immunity, kaya tina-target nga natin na makapagbakuna tayo ng mga 70 to 80 percent ng populasyon ng paaralan, para sa ganun, kung may herd immunity na tayo, maaari tayong makapagbukas ng limited face-to-face classes,” he added.

According to Teodoro, 326 minors with pre-existing medical conditions have been vaccinated during the pilot inoculation.

“Ngayong araw sa pilot vaccination, 326 minors ang target nating mabakunahan… Sa kabuuan, may 5,000 minors with comorbidities ang target natin na mabakunahan,” the mayor said.

“Ito ay pilot vaccination kaya sa mga susunod na araw ay i-increase natin yung bilang nito, maaaring up to 500 minors a day. At kung 5,000 ang target natin na minors with comorbidities, within 10 days ay matatapos natin ito,” he added.

The mayor bared that Marikina City targets to vaccinate around 100,000 minors studying in the city.

“Ang talagang hinihintay at gusto nating magawa ay mabakunahan ang 100,000 na minors na na-identify natin na nag-aaral dito sa Marikina,” he said.

The mayor explained that the local government of Marikina opted to conduct the pediatric vaccination at the sports center, because the hospitals in the city do not have the capacity to handle the number of candidate vaccinees.

The vaccines that have been approved for pediatric vaccinations are Pfizer and Moderna since both are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to be administered to the younger population.

As such, part of the city’s preparations for pediatric vaccination, the mayor assured, is having enough manpower to do the work.

“May mga vaccinator tayo na sinanay. May mga pediatric doctors tayo na hinire ngayon na dagdag sa existing doctors na nagbabakuna na,” Teodoro disclosed.

“Mayroon din tayong group of volunteers, mga social worker. Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa University of the Philippines dahil kami ay nakikipag-ugnayan sa kanila para sa mga volunteer social worker na mag-a-assist,” he added.

As such, addressing the fear of injections and other vaccination worries of the youth, Marikina also sought the help of mental health experts from private hospitals in the city.

“May mga psychologist din tayo, mga guidance counselor na manggagaling sa mga pribadong ospital dito sa Marikina dahil hindi lang naman iyong pagbabakuna ang ating inaalala, iyon ding trauma o pati psychological effect ng pagbabakuna sa mga bata,” the mayor explained.