malls in the Philippines

SM Supermalls opens Pediatric Vaccination Center in Mandaluyong

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

SM Supermalls opens Pediatric Vaccination Center in Mandaluyong

EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION. Minors aged 12 to 17 with comorbidities can now get vaccinated as Phase 2 of A3.1 category starts rolling out in 25 areas in Metro Manila, including SM Megamall.

All photos courtesy of SM Supermalls

Phase 2 of A3.1 vaccination program starts rolling out in 17 more locations in PH

Editor’s note: The SM Megamall Pediatric Vaccination Center is now open to Filipino children aged 12 to 17 who have underlying medical conditions. It currently caters to Mandaluyong residents. Below is their press release.

When the news broke out that children with comorbidities can get vaccinated, Paul Vincent Lim immediately registered his son for vaccination. As early as 9 am, Lim and his 15-year old son were already at the SM Megamall Mega Trade Hall, waiting to get inoculated.

“The benefits outweigh the risk. The moment I knew that he was eligible for inoculation, I did not hesitate to register his name. His pedia also approved of it so we pushed through with it,” said Lim. 

Lim’s son is just one of the 1.2 million children aged 12 to 17 with comorbidities in the country. He got his son the ultimate protection against this dreaded disease a COVID-19 vaccine. 

In cooperation with the Department of Health (DOH), the Inter-Agency Task Force and National Task Force Against COVID, National Vaccination Operation Center (NVOC), and Mandaluyong City LGU, SM Supermalls opened the SM Megamall Pediatric Vaccination Center to Filipino children who have underlying medical conditions on October 21.

MAKING VACCINATION FUN. SM Megamall and the Mandaluyong City LGU prepared life-sized statues of fictional characters, snacks for when kids get antsy, emergency teams on high alert, and dividers so kids won’t get affected by their co-vaccinees’ loud crying.

“At SM, we remain committed to providing accessible and convenient vaccination areas to our communities and beyond. Now that the rollout of the inoculation of minors with preexisting conditions has started, we will continue to lend a helping hand to the government and give them the necessary support to boost the country’s vaccination drive,” SM Supermalls President Steven Tan said.

Around 120 individuals who belong to the A3.1 category went to the mega vaccination center to get inoculated against COVID-19. SM Megamall is part of the 17 locations and the only mall venue where Phase 2 of the program is being rolled out. 

Prior to the opening, Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos said that they’ve prepared really well to ensure the safety of the kids. “Vaccinating children can be quite challenging. We had to make some modifications in the vaccination center like putting up dividers where the kids will be getting jabbed. Also, we have prepared well for emergencies. Our team conducted a simulation yesterday to ensure that we can respond to emergency situations immediately,” Mayor Abalos noted. 

FIRST DAY OF ROLLOUT. Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos goes around the vaccinations center to further encourage parents and guardians to have their kids vaccinated.

The MandaVax site has currently received around 7000 registrations, and around a thousand of them are children with comorbidities. The SM Megamall Pediatric Vaccination Center will cater to Mandaluyong residents at the moment, however, Mayor Abalos mentioned that non-Mandaluyong residents who work in the city and have children with comorbidities will soon be accommodated. 

The phased approach to vaccinating the A3.1 category began last October 15. DOH emphasized that the rollout of inoculation among children and minors was needed to manage their comorbidity risks. 

“It’s been a while since developed countries have started administering pediatric vaccines, and we believe that it’s high time for us to start this already. We chose SM Megamall as one of our venue partners for the second phase of the A3.1 vaccination rollout because we know that they can provide vast, safe, and convenient spaces, ideal for vaccination. We are grateful to SM Supermalls and SM Megamall for opening their vaccination centers to us,” said Dra. Amelia Medina, Chief Local Health Support Division and Vaccine Cluster Head.

To date, SM Supermalls has successfully administered over 4.5M jabs to Filipinos under its multi-mall vaccination program that is aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19. With its long-standing commitment to ensuring the health and safety of the public, SM continues to provide not just a #SafeMalling experience to shoppers, but also a convenient and accessible venue where their communities can get vaccinated.

KEEPING FAMILIES SAFE. Mandaluyong City households that have kids with health risks flock to the SM Megamall Pediatric Vaccination Center during the first day of the vaccination’s Phase 2 rollout.

Parents and guardians can pre-register their children via the MandaVax site using their household code. The LGU added that those who may have questions regarding the vaccination of minors may call the following MANDAVAX hotlines: 0917-17-62632, 0917-18-62632, 0917-67-62632, 0968-609-5405, 0915-497-2946, 0919-524-5715, 8532-5001 loc 471 to 480.

The DOH also stressed the following requirements and processes to be observed at the vaccination areas: 

  • Informed consent of parents, as well as approval from children who will receive vaccines themselves;
  • Medical certificate from doctors indicating comorbidities of the child/minor vaccinee; and,
  • In far-flung or Geographically-Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAS), a clearance from on-site trained physicians guided by a checklist from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines is to be provided.

For more information and up-to-date news on vaccination schedules at the SM malls in your LGU, follow SM Supermalls on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!

SM Supermalls

For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.