ILOILO City – At least 60 percent of the target children population in Western Visayas have so far been inoculated against measles, rubella and polio.
The initial turnout was made on the second week or 15 days after the launching of Measles, Rubella, Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA) in the region by the Department of Health Region 6 (DOH-6).
According to Dr. Daphynie Teorima, DOH-6’s coordinator on Child Health and National Immunization Program, the immunization activity achieved 60.37 percent for measles-rubella vaccination and 59.14 percent for oral polio vaccination.
This translates to a total of 399,017 children aged nine to 59 months vaccinated for measles-rubella of the region’s target of 660,406.
On the other hand, 457,734 of the regional target of 770,279 children aged 0 to 59 months received polio vaccines.
The province of Iloilo topped other provinces in Western Visayas on measles-rubella immunization coverage at 74.96 percent.
Guimaras province came next with 72 percent, followed by Capiz (58.75%), Negros Occidental (57.54%), Antique (54.5%), Bacolod City (51.6%), Aklan (49.25%), and Iloilo City (47.6%).
For OPV, Guimaras has the highest accomplishment with 74.35 percent followed by Iloilo (72.83%), Capiz (57.43%), Negros Occidental (56.26%), Antique (53.87%), Bacolod City (49.76%), Aklan (49.3%), and Iloilo City (47.52%).
The top 10 municipalities/cities in the region with the highest accomplishment all came from Iloilo province.
These were Lemery, Dueñas, Dingle, Passi City, San Dionisio, Lambunao, San Enrique, Cabatuan, Barotac Viejo, and Guimbal.
As of Feb. 14, Western Visayas is the second highest among MR-OPV SIA Phase 2 regions in terms of vaccination coverage, next to Central Luzon.
Teorima noted that some local government units got low accomplishments due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Aside from COVID-19, other factors include the weather and the proximity to areas designated for inoculation.
There are also other parents, who at first did not allow their children to be vaccinated, thinking that it was COVID-19 vaccine, Teorima added.
DOH-6 targets to vaccinate at least 95 percent of the total target children population this year.
Since 2015, data shows unachieved coverage of the target population.
In 2015, only 67.06 percent of the target population had been vaccinated; 68.54 percent in 2016; 66.32 percent in 2017; 63.16 percent in 2018; 69.3 percent in 2019; and 54.6 percent in 2020./PN
