THE Department of Health (DOH), through its retained hospitals, is exerting effort to reach out some 29,175 vaccinated children below one-year-old to protect them from polio.
Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, DOH regional director, said these 29,175 unvaccinated children are part of the 101,540 children they have target to immunize in 2018, which failed to realize due tp the Dengvaxia scare.
Monicimpo added that they were only able to vaccinated 72,365 of the target 101,540 in 2018 leaving 29,175 children unvaccinated.
The vaccination of children below one-year-old is being held every Wednesday in the health centers.
Monicimpo said the DOH-retained hospitals have been directed to coordinate with the concerned local government units to strengthen and conduct catch-up immunization program reach out the unvaccinated children.
The DOH-retained hospitals here in Region 9 are as follows: Zamboanga City Medical Center; Mindanao Central Sanitarium; Labuan Hospital; Basilan General Hospital; Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital; Margosatubig Regional Hospital; and, Sulu Sanitarium.
Meanwhile, she said they are targeting to immunize against polio some 85,788 children below one-year-old this year here in the region.
The vaccination include three doses of Oral Polio Vaccine and one dose of Inactivated Polio Vaccine.
Polio can only be prevented through vaccination and proper hygiene. (SunStar Philippines)