BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The month-long mass immunization of children nationwide kicks off today.
In Western Visayas, a total of 1.8 million kids will be vaccinated, said Dr. Sofia Pulmones, Local Health Support Division chief of the Department of Health (DOH).
Of the number, 862,969 children aged nine months to below five years old will be vaccinated against measles and 1,013,050 children aged zero to five years old will get two drops of oral polio vaccine.
The purpose is to interrupt the transmission of measles and rubella, to protect the population from polio, and to identify the immunity gaps in high-risk communities which will then be prioritized for routine immunization using DOH’s “Reaching Every Purok” strategy.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.
In 2012, there were 122 000 measles deaths globally – about 330 deaths every day or 14 deaths every hour, said WHO.
On the other hand, poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children.
The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis, said WHO.
Pulmones appealed for the cooperation of stakeholders in this undertaking, especially the parents, health workers and local public officials.
In Iloilo, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. issued an executive order directing all mayors to cooperate in the implementation of the program.
Provincial Health Office chief, Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado said non-government organizations also expressed intention to help such as the Integrated Midwife Association of the Philippines based in Iloilo.
“They will augment government midwives and health workers,” said Trabado./PN
