CLARK FREEPORT -- Representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Monday that "political commitments" are crucial and important to ensure the success of the ongoing nationwide immunization drive against measles and polio.
Dr. Robert Kezaala, Unicef’s senior health advisor on immunization, said that the success of the Department of Health’s (DOH) measles rubella and oral polio vaccine mass immunization campaign is dependent on the support of local government units (LGUs) and DOH officials.
"The national government sets the policies, while the local leaders and DOH officials can ensure that the vaccination drive will trickle down to all, especially to remote places," said Kezaala, who arrived in Pampanga on Monday to observe the immunization campaign in Central Luzon. He expressed gratitude to Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and DOH Regional Director Dr. Leonita Gorgolon for leading a status update meeting at the Oxford Hotel here to ensure the success of the month-long project.
Abu Obeda Eltayes, UNICEF’s immunization specialist, said that weekly monitoring of measles and polio should be done "even after" the DOH's campaign ends on September 30.
The Unicef coordinated with the Aquino administration to hold the mass immunization drive after the measles outbreak in Metro Manila earlier this year.
The measles rubella (MR) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) drive project of the DOH targets at least 250,000 children aged five years old and below living in Pampanga. Governor Pineda and Gorgolon during the meeting checked on the status of the MR-OPV mass immunization.
The governor urged mayors and local health officials to ensure the success of the ongoing mass immunization drive against measles and polio.
"We have to ensure that the minimum requirement of the DOH is met in Pampanga," said Governor Pineda. "At least 95 percent of the total target should be immunized by the end of the nationwide project," she added.
The governor said local and barangay officials should help health workers "in bringing children to the vaccination posts."
"As of September 15, we only have nine days for the drive. We can't rely on doing house-to-house to meet the target. We must get people from their houses and bring them to places where the vaccines are available,” said Governor Pineda.
Gorgolon said that “one of the keys to attain the target is to work as a team.”
Gorgolon said that at least 1.2 million children in Central Luzon composed of Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Nueva Ejica, Bulacan and Tarlac are the target of the mass immunization.
The DOH is targeting to immunize at least 11.2 million children in the country, or about 10 percent of the total population pegged at 100 million, said Dr. Lailani Mangulabnan. She is the DOH’s officer-in-charge local health support division of the expanded program on immunization.
Children aged nine months and below will be given oral police vaccine, while the older ones will be given both vaccines. (Joey Pavia/Contributor)