BACOLOD City – In an effort to increase the number of fully immunized children (FIC) in the city, the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) is extending its vaccination campaign to weekends, targeting children from newborn to one year old.
Dr. Jevy Marie Ortoño, medical coordinator of the CHO’s National Immunization Program, said the weekend vaccination drive will be held every Saturday and Sunday at the Bacolod Express Service Office (BESO) located in Ayala Malls Capitol Central, starting this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 17 to 18.
While the CHO has been conducting regular vaccinations on weekdays through barangay health centers, data from 2024 showed that only 47 percent of the target 10,000 to 12,000 children have been fully immunized. Moreover, only 20 percent have been classified as completely immunized children, or those who completed all required vaccines by age two.
Dr. Ortoño explained that FIC includes children who have received age-appropriate vaccines at one, three, four, nine, and 12 months old.
The vaccines offered for free include:
* Pentavalent Vaccine (Penta HIB) – protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
* Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)
* Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) – injectable form
* MMR Vaccine – protects against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles)
The weekend vaccination schedule is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Parents or guardians are advised to bring both the original and a photocopy of the child’s vaccination card.
“We decided to hold vaccinations in the mall for easier access, especially for working parents who may not be able to bring their children to health centers during weekdays,” said Ortoño./PN
