By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City — The Department of Health’s month-long massive immunization campaign targets 95 percent of the children in the country.
Dr. Renilyn Reyes, medical officer IV and regional immunization officer of DOH Region 6, said they target 862,970 children for measles and rubella (MR), while 1,013,051 targets of oral polio vaccine (OPV).
Reyes said mass immunization aims to promote routine vaccination and to look for children aging 0 to 5 years old who have not been vaccinated yet.
In Western Visayas, the MR and OPV targets are as followed: Aklan – 66,107 and 77,604; Antique—66,611 and 78,195; Capiz— 86,037 and 101,000; Guimaras — 19,857 and 23, 310; Iloilo – 220,487 and 258,833; Negros Occidental —288,692 and 338,900; Bacolod City — 63,278 and 74,280 and in Iloilo City —51,901 and 60,929.
She said DOH’s routine immunization is not sufficient to stop the transmission of measles.
Records showed that only 82 percent of the children in the country have been fully immunized against MR and polio as of this year—prompting DOH to initiate a massive immunization against the viral illnesses during the entire September.
DOH has been conducting routine measles vaccination in health centers for children 9 to 11 months old and 12 to 15 months old. OPV is only for children ages 6 to14 weeks.
DOH assistant secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial hopes the country will be measles-free with this program.
DOH targets to vaccinate 11 million children all over the country against MR while 13 million children will be given oral drops against polio for the month of September./PN
