DOH to conduct measles, polio supplemental immunization activity this Oct

Rural Health Unit (RHU) personnel in Iguig, Cagayan administer Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to 0-59 months children. (File Photo)

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Sept. 28 (PIA) – Not even the pandemic brought by COVID – 19 can hinder the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct the one-month Measles Rubella (MR) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) Synchronized Supplemental Immunization Activity come Oct. 26 – Nov. 25, 2020.

 Dr. Brian Nino Galapia, medical officer IV of DOH said this is to increase the immunity of children 0-59 months and to interrupt the transmission of measles virus and polio virus in the communities.

MR vaccine will be administered to 9 – 50 months old children while 0-59 months will receive OPV.

Around 361,001 children 0-59 months are targeted for the OPV while 308,930 children 9-59 months are targeted for the MR.

“This is supplemental which means this is in addition to the regular MR – OPV they received from the hospital or health centers”, Galapia said added that this will only be done within the period mentioned.

Galapia stressed that this is not a door-to-door vaccination but there will be fixed post or facility-based like health centers or temporary post like gymnasium, covered court or barangay halls, among others to be identified as sites where parents can bring their children.

Parents or guardians of children are advised to adhere to minimum health standards.

In the Philippines, an estimate of 21,031 and 44,203 unvaccinated children in 2019 and 2020, respectively and these child are called vulnerable to high risk for sustained measles transmission.

Last June 2019, an outbreak of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV) occurred in several areas of the country. This showed that the country is in a very high risk situation for poliovirus re-circulation after the country has been declared polio - free in 2000.

This prompted the department for a national response to avert the virus transmission through the conduct of several rounds of OP mass vaccination. (MDCT/GVB/PIA 2-Cagayan)


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