CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno is mulling to create a task force on polio prevention in the city following the recent declaration of polio outbreak in the Philippines by the Department of Health (DOH).
The task force on polio prevention will be led by the City Health Office in coordination with the community and other stakeholders.
Acting city health officer Dr. Lorraine Nery also shared that there will be a simultaneous “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” conducted by DOH, starting in Luzon and areas of Mindanao such as Davao del Sur, Lanao del Sur and Marawi City on October 24 to 27.
Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio is an activity wherein all below five years old will be given vaccination.
The activity is set to be done in all parts of Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro City, on November 27 to December 7.
Poliomyelitis or polio, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children.
The virus can be transmitted through the faecal-oral route or by taking in contaminated food or water.
The symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, stiffness in the neck, headache, vomiting, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent.
According to Nery, the virus can be prevented through vaccination. Children ages 0 to 5 should be vaccinated with the Oral Polio Vaccine three times and injected with the Polio vaccine during the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine.
Apart from taking the polio vaccine, the City Health Office also encourage the public to practice proper human waste disposal and sanitation as it can also prevent the spread of the virus.