A TOTAL of 1.3 million children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are being targeted for the mass measles immunization drive to be conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) and the BARMM Ministry of Health (MOH) in April.
In a joint statement, the DOH and the MOH said the mass measles immunization drive will be held from April 1 to 12 amid the alarming surge in measles cases in the Bangsamoro.
"Health workers will provide lifesaving vaccines to protect against this deadly and highly contagious disease in the densely populated areas of Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Marawi City," said the DOH.
"The BARMM Ministry of Health will vaccinate children in all three priority areas and, subsequently, cover all other areas," it furthered.
The health department said over one million doses of measles vaccines are readily available to be used in the immunization drive.
They are set to be given free measles shots to children aged six months to 10 years old in the Bangsamoro.
"Some 95 percent of the children must be vaccinated with two doses of measles vaccine at nine and 12 months," said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
"There is a critical need to reach and vaccinate the children missed during routine vaccinations. We have to make sure that no child is left behind in the BARMM,” said BARMM Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas.
From January 1 to March 16, 2024, Bangsamoro has a total of 1,481 cases of measles reported. This is more than half of the 2,661 measles cases reported nationwide by the DOH.
"It is generally believed that the total number of cases in the community is much more," said Abas.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by a virus that is most common in children. (HDT)