Mindanao: More than one million children in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been vaccinated against measles and rubella during the first week of the Department of Health's (DOH) 'Ligtas Tigdas' immunization campaign, the agency reported late Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DOH's update on January 23 indicated that this number accounts for 36 percent of the 2.8 million children aged six to 59 months targeted for vaccination in Phase 1 of the program. Northern Mindanao recorded the highest number of vaccinated children, with approximately 230,000 receiving the measles-rubella vaccine.
In addition to measles and rubella immunization, the DOH is providing Vitamin A supplements to enhance children's immunity. The health department has previously warned about the highly contagious nature of measles and rubella, emphasizing that one infected child can spread the virus to as many as 16 unvaccinated children.
The DOH highlighted that vaccination is the most effective method to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and deaths related to the disease. The vaccination campaign in Mindanao is set to continue until February, after which the program will expand to Luzon and the Visayas in June.
Parents have been encouraged to coordinate with local government units as the vaccination activities are being conducted jointly by the DOH and LGUs across communities nationwide.
