Thousands of children aged five to 11 years old are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in 38 pilot sites in the National Capital Region starting Monday.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in an interview over dzBB Sunday a total of 500,000 younger people have registered for pediatric vaccination nationwide.

Cabotaje said 170,000 of the younger population were registered in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Cabotaje said "almost 90 percent" of the vaccines for children aged five to 11 years old are already dispatched as of Saturday.

"We have dispatched them in all the vaccination center in NCR and then we also start in Regions 3 and 4A, as well as in some areas of Region 7 and 8 and they started... (in) Cotabato because we have a vaccination site ,Cotabato Regional Medical Center, to also give importance the vaccination for our Muslim brothers and sisters," she said.

The pilot vaccination sites in NCR are AMC Gym in Pateros; Marikina Sports Complex in Marikina City; SMX Convention Center (SM Aura) and Lakeshore in Taguig City; SM North EDSA Skydome and QC Memorial Circle in Quezon City; Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center and Manila Zoo in the City of Manila; SM Makati and Nemesio I Yabut Elementary School in Makati City; Medical Center Muntinlupa and Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Muntinlupa City; SM Sucat and Ayala Mall by the Bay in Paranaque City; T. Paez Elementary School and MOA Activity Center in Pasay City; as well as Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children's Medical Center, and National Children's Hospital.

Other sites are Caloocan Sports Complex, Caloocan City North Medical Center, Bagong Silang Elementary School, Caloocan City South Medical Center, and SM Grand Central in Caloocan City; Oreta Sports Complex and Robinsons Town Hall in Malabon City; Navotas City Hospital and Tumana Health Center in Navotas City; VCEH Astrodome and Pasolo Health Center in Valenzuela City; Buting Elementary School and Manggahan Elementary School in Pasig City; Podium Hall and Addition Hills Integrated School in Mandaluyong City; Fil Oil Gym in San Juan City; and Robinsons Mall, The Tenth Villar Sipag, and SM Center Las Pinas in Las Pinas City.

Cabotaje said the government is targeting to inoculate as many persons for their first doses as possible during the second quarter as a total of 5.2 million doses of pediatric vaccines are expected to arrive this month.

"At least by the second quarter, we are able to inoculate (persons for) the first doses," she said. Robina Asido/DMS