JORDAN, Guimaras – A supplemental immunization activity (SIA) against measles, rubella and polio will be conducted in February in the island province of Guimaras.
The Department of Health (DOH) targets to vaccinate children from zero to 59 months old.
Gov. Samuel Gumarin urged parents to have their children immunized for free.
Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. It can be serious and even fatal for small children.
Measles’ signs and symptoms appear around 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. These include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis), tiny white spots with bluish-white centers on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek — also called Koplik’s spots – and a skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another.
Rubella is a contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash. While this infection may cause mild symptoms or even no symptoms in most people, it can cause serious problems for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.
Rubella isn’t the same as measles but the two illnesses share some symptoms, including the red rash. It is caused by a different virus than measles, and rubella isn’t as infectious or as severe as measles.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling disease caused by the poliovirus. Its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death.
Signs and symptoms, which can last up to 10 days, include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, back pain or stiffness, neck pain or stiffness, pain or stiffness in the arms or legs, and muscle weakness or tenderness.
“Bakuna lang solusyon sa sining mga balatian. Gani, akon ginahingyu sa pinalangga ko nga mga Guimarasnon nga makigbahin sa paga-hiwaton nga immunization,” said Gumarin.
The supplemental immunization activity will be from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.
The immunization will be conducted in the rural health units of the municipalities of Jordan, Buenavista, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag.
Data (January to December 2020) from DOH showed the Western Visayas having 56 confirmed cases of measles – Antique, 23; Negros Occidental, 15; Bacolod City, nine; Iloilo province, eight; Aklan, one./PN
