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[av_heading heading=’City council OKs school-based immunization ordinance ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The SangguniangPanlungsod has approved an ordinance institutionalizing the school-based Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
Grade 1 pupils and Grade 7 students in public schools will benefit from the free EPI, said Councilor EmAng, author.
According to Ang, the city government is taking a proactive role in preventive health care among children and adolescents.
“Toward this end, the city shall adopt a comprehensive, mandatory and sustainable immunization program for vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.
The EPI involvesmeasles-rubella (MR) and tetanus-diphtheria (TD) vaccination for Grade 7 students, and TD and measles-containing vaccine, or MCV, for Grade 1 pupils.
Ang, chairwoman of the committee on health and sanitation, said the ordinance is also pursuant to the Department of Health’s (DOH) School-based Immunization Program, which started in 2013.
The program involves administering MR and TD vaccines to first year to fourth year public high school students (Grades 7 to 10) in priority provinces and cities.
Ang said the Constitution provides that the state shall “adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost.”
The needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children, shall be made priority, she said./PN
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