ILOILO – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is deploying 45 of its personnel to beef up the provincial government’s measles-rubella and oral polio mass immunization program this February.
The additional workforce is composed of nurses, doctors, midwives and encoders, according to Gilbert Paul Valderrama, administrator of PRC-Iloilo Chapter.
Valderrama said the support team already coordinated with various local government units (LGU) in the province.
“Ang PRC-Iloilo chapter support team ma-assist sa Provincial Health Office (PHO) kag sa concerned LGUs sa pagbakuna, subong man magtudlo kon may kakulangan ukon dapat nga i-improve ang LGUs sa pag-conduct sang immunization,” Valderrama added.
PHO earlier announced its target to vaccinate 200,000 children in the province.
According to Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, PHO chief, all infants and children aged nine to 59 months old shall be given one dose of the measles vaccine to achieve “herd immunity.”
“Kon may herd immunity or 95 percent sang mga kabataan sa isa ka barangay nga nabakunahan kag may isa nga infected halin sa iban nga pungsod or banwa, gamay ang chances nga maglapta,” Quiñon explained.
She encouraged parents to have their children immunized.
“Ang ginakampanya tani nga ang parents magadala sang ila kabataan sa mga strategic locations like barangay health stations and barangay halls para mabakunahan sa mga scheduled dates,” Quiñon said.
She assured parents that the measles vaccine is safe and effective.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. The virus is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons./PN
