Massive measles vaccination drive conducted in Ilocos Norte

LAOAG CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday conducted a massive measles vaccination campaign in various schools and local communities of the province, particularly among athletes participating in the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet.

 

“Our priority, for now, are the athletes as we have also installed measles fast lanes in all DOH hospitals,” said Dr. Edwin Monis, area supervisor for the measles outbreak response team for Region 1 (Ilocos Norte), in a press conference.    

 

On Tuesday morning, about 200 athletes both from the elementary and secondary levels were given vaccinations with the consent of their parents. Other schools followed suit.

 

For the safety of the participants, Ilocos Norte’s hosting of the R1AA meet has been moved to March 6-11 from March 3-8 to give the athletes time to be vaccinated against measles.

 

Monis, also Medical Officer V of the DOH Center for Health Development 1 (Ilocos), urged all parents to have their children vaccinated to protect them from the highly-contagious viral disease.

 

He noted that the Ilocos region has already recorded a total of 536 cases of measles.

 

The DOH, along with other government agencies, has been at the forefront of the immunization campaign due to the alarming increase in measles-rubella cases across the country.

 

Its signs and symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes or conjunctivitis, fever, and skin rashes lasting for more than three days. (PNA)

News Feed:

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1063189
Latest News | Philippine News Agency