Health department readies roll-out of measles-rubella, polio vaccination
The Department of Health – Center for Health Development – Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CHD-CAR) is set to roll-out the conduct of the implementation of Measles-Rubella and Bivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Supplementary Immunization Activities (MR-bOPV SIA) on May 2023.
Children ages 0-59 months will be the focus of the supplemental immunization to increase herd immunity and interrupt the transmission of measles and polioviruses in communities.
In a letter to Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong dated February 10, 2023, DOH-CHD-CAR Regional Director Rio L. Magpantay requested the support of the local government and active participation of Baguio constituents for the success of the supplemental immunization activity.
“Vaccination has been one of the most crucial public health strategies that have protected our population against several infectious diseases,” Magpantay said.
However, the health executive said “new cohorts of children remain unprotected from measles, rubella and polio due to low immunization coverage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, hence prompting the need for a supplemental immunization activity.”
One of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 is to end preventable deaths of newborn babies and children under 5 years of age and significantly reduce neonatal mortality at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under 5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
Recent measles-rubella and oral polio supplemental immunization activities were conducted in 2014 and 2020 but the DOH says the turnout was low in 2020 due to the lockdowns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic thereby affecting the country’s progress towards elimination of vaccine preventable illnesses among infants and children. – JMPS
