THE Davao City Health Office (CHO) observed that the turnout of the school-based immunization program of the Department of Health (DOH) has decreased with only 15 percent compared to the turnout before the Dengvaxia incident with 80 percent.
"Yung aming project ay mababa yung turnout kasi maraming parents ang hindi nagbigay ng consent," Dr. Julinda Acosta, chief technical division of the City Health Office (CHO), said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao on Tuesday, August 21.
"In fact, maraming parents ang nagtatanong if it is not Dengvaxia," Acosta said.
She added that parents do not want their children be immunized or given vaccines, especially HPV vaccines for girls in grade four aging nine to 13 years old who are said to be prone to cervical cancer.
"Nahirapan talaga kami. Naglibot na kami sa different centers to conduct orientation sa parents pero wala pa rin," Acosta said.
She said that in one school they have conducted orientation for 300 students yet only 80 students were given consent by their parents.
The project started on August 10, but Acosta said they needed another strategy to assure the parents that the vaccines are safe.
CHO also planned to urge the principal of each school, including the teachers to help out with the program.
"This is a project of DOH, DepEd and DILG," she said, adding that if there will be no effort from the education sector, the project will not succeed.
Acosta added that the public does not need to worry because the vaccines are safe and very effective. There are also no complications reported.
"This is supposed to be for public schools, but if ayaw nila, might as well ibigay sa mga parents na gusto ipa-immunize ang mga anak nila, even if coming from private schools," she said.