By BOY RYAN ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — A month-long free measles and polio vaccination is being conducted in Aklan.
The measles vaccination targets 66,107 children aged 9 months to below 5 years old, while the polio vaccination (oral drops) aims to cover 77,604 children aged 0 to below 5 years old, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said.
Rural health workers, nurses, doctors, and midwives are leading the multi-vaccine campaign in barangay health centers and other vaccination posts.
The campaign in the province is part of the nationwide mass immunization program of the Department of Health.
According to Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Cornelio Cuachon Jr., the drive aims to give children extra protection from viral illnesses.
“Every three years, the (DOH holds) supplemental measles immunization aside from (its) routine immunization (programs),” said Cuachon.
In spite of the previous campaigns, however, various areas in the country still had measles cases from November last year to January this year, he said.
Aklan recorded 442 measles cases last year, prompting the PHO to launch an outbreak response immunization program for day care center and primary school pupils and secondary school students to contain the disease.
Most of the measles cases were reported in the municipalities of Kalibo, Ibajay and Malay, including Boracay, the PHO said.
From January to July this year, the province posted only 83 suspected measles cases.
According to PHO, the immunization campaign last year reached only 80 percent of the target.
To achieve 95-percent coverage, mobile immunization teams from rural health units in all 17 towns will conduct door-to-door immunization among children.
After the mass immunization, nurses in rural health units will hold a rapid coverage assessment in high-risk communities and far-flung barrios to determine children who were yet to be vaccinated.
The nationwide massive immunization program aims to immunize 11 million children against measles and 13 million children against polio, said the DOH. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
