MANILA - The vaccination of children against COVID-19 reduces the risk of getting myocarditis and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), doctors said Wednesday.

The risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection for the unvaccinated is 4 times to 8 times higher across all ages, while there is 10 times higher risk for hospitalization, according to Dr. Maria Wilda Silva, former national immunization program manager of the Department of Health.

• Govt begins nationwide COVID-19 vaccination of kids age 5 to 11

When vaccinated against COVID-19, the overall risk of myocarditis or inflammation of heart muscles is 1 in 200,000, she said.

It is most common among males ages 12 to 29 with 1 in 14,000 affected, which is the "same chance of being struck by a lightning in one's lifetime," she added.

"This can happen after a viral infection like COVID-19. It is very rare after receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines," she said.

"Myocarditis from a viral infection this can be very severe. There is 10 times higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 infection if you are unvaccinated...So the overall message here is don’t miss your shot, your heart is safe with COVID-19 vaccines."

COVID-19 jabs also prevent the virus from replicating and eliciting inflammatory response or MIS-C, said Dr. Nina Gloriani, head of government's vaccine expert panel.

"The vaccine will not allow the virus to actually replicate so much. Kung mapi-prevent niya ang virus from replicating or infecting then you will not elicit that inflammatory response," she told reporters.

"Kung wala ang virus, walang magi-incite ng (If there's no virus, nothing will incite) inflammatory response. Of course that still has to be clarified and followed up but it is rare as mentioned."

Majority of side effects following COVID-19 vaccination among 5 to 11 years old are mild to moderate, Silva said, citing clinical trials on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. These include local reactions such as pain in the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and chills among others, she added.

The use of antipyretic or drugs against fever was more frequent after the second dose, according to Silva.

Pfizer's jab among children ages 5 to 11 is 90.7 percent effective, Gloriani said. The 10-microgram dose was chosen for the said age group as it produces nearly the same amount of neutralizing antibodies as that of the 20-microgram dose for adults, she added.

"Pareho lang kaya (It's the same that's why) they chose 10 micrograms. The less you give, the better yung safety response niya (the better its safety response). The reactogenicity becomes lower," she said.

The public is urged to observe minimum public health standards alongside vaccination, Silva said.

"Go out and get vaccinated; get your loved ones, children vaccinated against COVID-19. We have routine vaccines for children under 1 year and they're given for free," she said. "It’s a proven fact: vaccination saves lives."

The Philippines has so far inoculated against COVID-19 some 48,615 children ages 5 to 11 and 9.3 million children aged 12 to 17 as of Tuesday.

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