ANTIQUE – The measles-rubella and oral polio vaccine supplemental immunization activity (MR OPV SIA) targets to inoculate over 120,000 children in this province from May 1 to 31.
Of the 126,811 children in the province, 58,472 aged nine months to 59 months are being eyed for measles-rubella vaccination, while 68,339 children aged zero to 59 months are being targeted for oral polio vaccination, according to Dr. Jose Martin T. Atienza, immunization program coordinator of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
The target for the entire region, meanwhile, is 660,054 children for measles-rubella vaccination and 769,881 children for oral polio vaccination.
The MR OPV SIA aims to prevent the transmission of the measles virus and poliovirus.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. Its virus is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.
Initial symptoms, which usually appear between 10 and 12 days after infection, include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downward.
Persons exhibiting symptoms must immediately seek treatment in public health centers or hospitals.
Meanwhile, polio is an illness caused by a virus that mainly affects nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem, according to the Mayo Clinic. In its most severe form, polio can lead to a person being unable to move certain limbs or paralysis. It can also lead to troubled breathing, and sometimes death. The disease is also called poliomyelitis.
Most people infected with the virus that causes polio, called poliovirus, don’t get symptoms. About five percent of people with the poliovirus get a mild version of the disease called abortive poliomyelitis. This leads to flu-like symptoms that last two to three days. These include fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, stomachache, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
SOCIAL MOBILIZATION ACTIVITY IN ANTIQUE
To create public awareness, especially among parents, the DOH, in collaboration with the Antique Provincial Health Office (APHO), conducted a Social Mobilization Activity in three targeted municipalities (Patnongon, Bugasong, and Sibalom) in the province on March 21 to 23.
The activity aims to provide technical assistance and conduct capacity building for barangay health workers for the upcoming “Chikiting Ligtas: The 2023 Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity” in May.
The DOH and APHO will also visit other towns in the province./PN
