THE Department of Health (DOH) has set a lofty target of 95 percent for the vaccination of children against measles, rubella, and polio, noting that the campaign is set to run for an entire month.
Speaking via a recorded message during the launch of the Chikiting Ligtas 2023 campaign in San Juan City, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are eyeing a 95 percent accomplishment rate in the immunization of children below 5 years old from May 1 to 31.
“One of the Department’s goals is to protect our children from vaccine preventable diseases, and those include measles, rubella, and polio. As a measure to provide them protection, we shall continue to prioritize vaccination,” said Vergeire.
“Through concerted efforts, we can achieve 95 percent immunization coverage of our children and prevent epidemics from happening,” she added.
The DOH has said that 11,108,115 kids 0-59 months are being eyed for oral polio vaccination (OPV), while some 9,509,585 kids 9-59 months are also being targeted for measles-rubella (MR) vaccines.
In a press conference, DOH Assistant Secretary Beverly Ho said they are resolved to meet their target unlike in their previous immunization drive, when the last MR immunization drive only reached 63 percent of the target population, while the OPV only reached 72 percent
“If we don’t reach our target, there is a bigger chance of seeing outbreaks… The higher that we can get, it would be much better,” said Ho.
To do so, the health official said they will be using several methods to reach as many children as possible.
“We will go house to house so that we can bring the vaccines closer to the people,” she said, adding that they will likewise extend the operating hours of health centers.
Vergeire, in turn, appealed to the public, particularly to parents and guardians of eligible children, to allow their kids to get vaccinated.
“We call on parents, uncles, aunts, grandfathers, grandmothers to allow your children, nephews, nieces, grandkids to get vaccinated,” she said.
“These vaccines are made available so that no child or family will suffer from the complications of vaccine-preventable diseases and the high cost that would come with hospitalization,” added Vergeire.
