SAN JOSE, Antique – The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in this province urges parents to have their children immunized with polio vaccine due to the reemergence of the viral disease in the country.
Provincial health officer Dr. Leoncio Abiera Jr. on Wednesday said parents should bring their children to rural health centers for vaccination.
“We are now strengthening our routine vaccination so that the children when they reach 1-year-old, would become fully immunized children (FIC),” he added.
Abiera said FIC means a child has been immunized against polio, Hepatitis B, and other childhood diseases.
Last year, a total of 9,191 children aged one, were considered FIC in Antique.
“Our target last year was 16,280 1-year-old children but health workers reported only 9,191 FIC,” Abiera said.
He added the target was a projected figure based on the data provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“We, however, believe there are still children who were not able to have their full immunization last year and so we encouraged parents to cope with their missed immunization,” Abiera said, adding that children, who missed their polio immunization, could still have it until five years old.
He said parents should carry out strict hygiene among their children like hand-washing before and after eating.
“We know that the mode of transmission on polio is fecal-oral so children have to really practice hand-washing,” added Abiera.(With a report from PNA/PN)
