The catch-up immunization in Western Visayas has targeted over 20,000 children below two years old in Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces this month of April.
Dr. Daphynie Teorima, the coordinator for the Child Health and National Immunization Program of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD), said on Wednesday these two large provinces of the Western Visayas region have a high number of projected unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children.
To allow health workers to focus on the immunization, the DOH regional office has provided a moratorium for activities every last Thursday and Friday of the month that were identified as immunization days, the immunization coordinator said.
“We have received a confirmed measles-rubella or German measles case in the region that’s why we have to be vigilant with our immunization and increase our surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases,” Teorima said in an interview.
During the first quarter of 2022, DOH has monitored 12 suspected cases of measles and one laboratory-confirmed Rubella case in the region.
The immunization will move to other provinces and highly-urbanized cities in May and June to be able to cover 80 percent of the regional target of 52, 228 children of the said age group.
The rural health unit was given options to have a fixed site if the area where the immunization will be conducted is nearer; otherwise, they have a modified temporary fixed site, meet halfway, or do house-to-house just to ensure that they won’t miss any child.
They are also looking at integrating other services, aside from the immunization, intended for the age group to maximize their efforts.
Among the routine immunization that will be provided are the BCG and Hepatitis B vaccines at birth; and the Pentavalent vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, influenza B, and Hepatitis B for six weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 week-old babies.
Also part of the routine immunization are the vaccines for pneumonia and meningitis during 6, 10, and 14 weeks; oral polio vaccine for 14 weeks, and the MMR or the measles, mumps, and rubella at nine months and one year old.
“If the children could complete the immunization by 12 months then they are considered as fully-immunized. If not, we need to catch up, especially before they turn two years old, so they will be protected from vaccine-preventable disease,” Teorima said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
