The Philippine’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for 12-17 years old.
The FDA announced the approval in a Laging Handa briefing on Friday.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo said that experts have seen that the benefits of using the vaccine on children outweigh the risks.
Domingo added that vaccinators just have to watch out for the risk of myocarditis from using the Moderna mRNA vaccine.
The FDA clarified that the Moderna vaccines being used in the Philippines are not the contaminated ones in Japan.
Domingo said that it will be up to the Department of Health to start the vaccination of individuals below 18 years old.
