COVID-19 has infected 21,713 children in Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – COVID-19 has infected 21,713 children in Region 6 (Western Visayas), the Department of Health regional office said on Monday, February 7. 

At an online press briefing, DOH-WV spokesperson Dr. Renilyn Reyes Reyes said data as of February 6 showed that 43% or 9,403 belong to the 12 to 17 age group, with 35% or 7,647 aged between five and 11 years old, and 22% or 4,663 below five years old.

The number of infected children is 12% of the 176,638 confirmed cases in the region in the two-year pandemic.

Reyes bared the statistics as the DOH regional office said it aimed to vaccinate 1.08 million children between five and 11 years old. But it could not give a date for the start of the Western Visayas rollout.

Negros Occidental accounts for 25% or 5,541 infected children, Reyes said. 

She said Iloilo province followed Negros Occidental, then Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Aklan, Capiz, and Antique, but did not give figures in these areas.

Most infected minors asymptomatic

Majority of the child cases or 68.8% were asymptomatic (15,082), and 6,631 patients being largely mild (29.87%). Moderate cases accounted for  only 0.90%, severe cases, 0.42%, and critical, 0.01%..

There were 62 COVID deaths among minors aged 0 to 17, the DOH-WV said, with 27 of them being below five years old.

Reyes said that these deaths may either be directly or indirectly caused by COVID.

“When we look at the data, there are children who do die because of COVID infection or complications due to the infections. These may have been due to comorbidities. It means that our kids aren’t spared by COVID-19 infections,” she said.

DOH-WV data as of February 6 show that there have been 176,638 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas.

Vaccine targets 

The DOH said Negros Occidental will have the most number of vaccinated children (363,249), followed by Iloilo province (267,470), Capiz (102,222), Antique (95,437), Aklan (84,356), Bacolod City (81,737), Iloilo City (61,872), and Guimaras (24,354).

Reyes said that while they have started to promote vaccinations for the five to 11 age group, there is no definite date for the rollout of jabs.

Pfizer vaccines have just started to arrive in Manila and Reyes said arrivals in the region may follow in the next few weeks.

She urged parents to pre-register their eligible offspring, citing the concept of “cocoon protection” to aid in shielding the unvaccinated from COVID-19.

“If we’re talking about the emotional and psychological aspects of our children, they want to come out [of the house] and go to their schools. COVID vaccines provide additional safeguards for children and for the safe reopening of schools and other gatherings for the kids outside of the home,” said Reyes.

“Cocoon protection or cocooning is vaccinating individuals and protecting those who are not vaccinated. If we vaccinate our children, this will add protection for the unvaccinated, especially for those who are below five years old,” she added. 

“COVID vaccines for all types and all age groups continue to protect against severe disease and deaths,” she said.

DOH-WV data as of February 6 showed that 606,483 minors aged 12 to 17 have been fully vaccinated in the region. – Rappler.com

Joseph B.A. Marzan is a Visayas-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rugo Journalism Fellowship.