CALOOCAN CITY, Jan. 14 (PIA) -- The COVID-19 vaccines that will be administered in the country will not include minors below 16 years old yet.

This was revealed by World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe in the LagingHanda Public Briefing broadcast earlier.

Asked, Dr. Abeyasinghe said, "The vaccines currently cleared by WHO for EUA listing and their trials did not involve children because of the lower risk of diseases in children and the critical importance of ensuring of trying it on adults before trying it on children."

"What we have now is a clearance for the use of vaccine on people above 16. Will be studying if the vaccine will be effective on children and the process is still on-going," he added.

He said WHO is currently studying its effectiveness on children. "It will take some time but if there is evidence, we will confidently say that the vaccines are safe for children too," Dr. Abeyasinghe.

This was also seconded by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles where he said in yesterday's public briefing that the government would prioritize Filipinos above 16 or 18 years old in the immunization drive.

He pointed out that the COVID vaccines, presently available in the market, can only be administered to people ages 16 and older based on the information from the manufacturers.

Posted in the United Nations Children Educational Fund (UNICEF) website, "Children are not the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they risk being among its biggest victims, as children's lives are nonetheless being changed in profound ways. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are being affected, in particular by the socio-economic impacts and, in some cases, by mitigation measures that may inadvertently do more harm than good. (PIA NCR)