ILOILO – With only three days left in the province-wide vaccination drive, health authorities are racing to reach more than 72,000 children who have yet to receive protection against measles and rubella, as Iloilo has so far covered only 58.13 percent of its target population.
As of Aug. 25, a total of 100,197 children aged six to 59 months had received free measles-rubella vaccines under the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), which runs from Aug. 10 to 28.
The figure represents 58.13 percent of Iloilo’s target of 172,360 children, leaving 72,163 still to be reached before the campaign ends on Friday.
Against the province-wide gap, Guimbal emerged as the first Iloilo municipality to surpass the government’s 95-percent vaccination target, immunizing 2,311 of its 2,371 eligible children, or 97.47 percent.
“Guimbal has become the first municipality in the Province of Iloilo to achieve the 95% MR-SIA vaccination target, reaching an outstanding 97.47% coverage,” the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said.
Miagao ranked second with 91.52 percent coverage, or 4,933 of 5,390 children, followed by San Enrique with 87.23 percent, or 3,169 of 3,633 children.
Tigbauan posted 84.47 percent coverage, or 4,298 of 5,088 children; Lemery, 80.51 percent, or 2,049 of 2,545; Anilao, 71.32 percent, or 1,788 of 2,507; and Santa Barbara, 71.22 percent, or 3,820 of 5,364.
Rounding out the 10 municipalities with the highest vaccination coverage were Oton at 69.97 percent, or 5,369 of 7,673 children; Mina at 69.55 percent, or 1,135 of 1,632; and Barotac Viejo at 63.81 percent, or 2,987 of 4,681.
With the Aug. 28 deadline approaching, the IPHO urged parents and guardians not to wait until the campaign ends and to bring eligible children to designated vaccination sites in or near their barangays.
“To all parents and guardians, our vaccination teams continue to visit barangays across the province. If your child is 6–59 months old and has not yet received the MR vaccine, we encourage you to have them vaccinated,” the IPHO said.
Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque likewise appealed to families to take advantage of the remaining days of the free vaccination campaign, stressing that immunization has long proven effective in preventing diseases that once commonly afflicted children.
“Madugay na ini nga programa kag napamatud-an na naton nga vaccination works. Amo na nga indi na ini common nga sakit pareho sang una. Pero indi ini rason nga magkumpyansa. Padayonon ang paghatag sang proteksyon para indi na makahalit sa aton mga kabataan,” Debuque said.
She encouraged parents and guardians to visit their nearest Primary Care Facility or Barangay Health Station to check the vaccination schedule in their area.
The MR-SIA seeks to protect children aged six to 59 months against measles and rubella through free vaccination across Iloilo Province./PN
