MANILA — The Philippines has so far received 2,280,000 doses of pediatric COVID-19 vaccine from the Australian government, the Department of Health said Friday.

This is part of 6 million pediatric Pfizer vaccine doses that Canberra, through the support of Unicef, will donate to Manila by year-end to boost immunization coverage among children, the agency said.

Some 720,000 more doses of the coronavirus jabs are expected to arrive within the week, according to the DOH.

"Promoting children’s health and well-being is everyone’s responsibility. Helping children recover from the effects of COVID-19 requires a concerted effort from all sectors of society," Unicef Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said in a statement.

"By strengthening our partnerships and growing our collaboration with one another, we achieve more for children," she added.

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Apart from the pediatric COVID-19 vaccines, the Australian government has also provided solar-powered vaccine refrigerators, walk-in cold rooms, personal protective equipment and spare parts.

Canberra also helped in training 490 health staff on cold chain management.

"We are pleased to be playing a role in ensuring all Filipino children can recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," Richard Sisson, Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian Embassy to the Philippines, said in a statement.

"These vaccines are an important part of the Australian government’s support for children in the Philippines, which extends across the health, education sectors, and protection from abuse and exploitation," he added.

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DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire thanked Australia and Unicef for the donation.

"With this new batch of vaccines, we hope that more parents will get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 for their protection and continued safe learning," she said.

As of Sept. 14, some 14.8 million children and adolescents have so far been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Of the figure, around 9.9 million are adolescents ages 12 to 17, while almost 4.9 million are children ages 5 to 11, latest data from the DOH showed.

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