Over 200K children in Region 7 get measles-rubella vaccine

SunStar File Photo
SunStar File Photo

A TOTAL of 222,247 children nine to 59 months old in Central Visayas have received measles-rubella (MR) vaccine under the second phase of the MR Oral Polio Vaccine Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR OPV SIA) phase two as of Feb. 10, 2021, the 10th day of the month-long vaccination campaign of the Department of Health (DOH).

In a report issued on Thursday, Feb. 11, the DOH 7 said the inoculated children covers 32.06 percent of 693,210 children that the agency targets to administer with supplementary MR vaccine until the end of February.

Cebu City, which has the fourth highest number of target children, currently has the lowest coverage for MR vaccine SIA at 20.38 percent—Of the 87,921 target number of eligible children, the DOH 7 has yet to vaccinate 70,000 children in the city.

The top 10 performing barangays for the MR vaccination in Cebu City include Barangays Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Sinsin, Pamutan, Tabunan, Sirao, Binaliw, Mabini, Bonbon and Pit-os. These are mountain villages with less population.

In Cebu Province, a total of 89,871 (32.09 percent) children were vaccinated. The top-performing local government units are Cordova, Alcoy, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Compostela, City of Naga, Oslob, Consolacion, Tabogon and Bantayan.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.

Polio vaccine

The DOH 7 also vaccinated a total of 263,649 children or 32.32 percent of its target number of eligible children for the oral polio vaccine (OPV).

Of the total number of children vaccinated, 21,310 are from Cebu City; 41,215, Negros Oriental; 14,225, Lapu Lapu City; 107,360, Cebu Province; 16,259, Mandaue City; 58,663, Bohol; and 4,617, Siquijor.

Of the 815,641 eligible children (zero to 59 months old) for the OPV, a total of 103,819 comes from Cebu City; 142,955, Negros Oriental; 45,926, Lapu Lapu City; 330,719, Cebu Province; 40,802, Mandaue City; 142,369, Bohol; and 9,051, Siquijor.

Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that invades the person’s nervous system and can cause total paralysis. It is transmitted via person-to-person; it is spread mainly through the fecal-oral route and it can also spread through contaminated water or food.

Parents encouraged

The DOH 7 continues to encourage the parents of eligible children to join the supplementary immunization.

Dr. Joan Antonette Albito, medical coordinator of the National Immunization Program of the DOH 7, said the SIA is intended to complement and not replace the routine immunization.

She said the objective of the MR OPV SIA is to catch children who are either non-immunized or only partially protected against measles-rubella and poliomyelitis diseases, and it also boosts the immunity of children who had been vaccinated. (WBS)

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