THE Department of Health (DOH) is conducting a 17-day intensified routine and catch-up immunization targeting 61,849 children aged Zero-23 months in Zamboanga Peninsula.
Dr. Augusto Manolo Alpichi, chief of the Local Health Support Division of the DOH regional office, said Friday, November 10, the catch-up immunization will be from November 13 to November 29.
“We aim to protect them from various health threats that, if contracted, could lead to both personal suffering and significant financial burdens,” Alpichi said.
He said fixed vaccination posts will be established in barangay health centers, rural and district health units, barangay health stations, private clinics, and out-patient services departments of hospitals.
Alpichi said temporary vaccination posts will be set up by partnering local government units in locations like bus terminals, malls, markets, and other high-traffic areas as well as house-to-house.
The available vaccines include those against tuberculosis, hepatitis B, pentavalent, oral polio vaccine, inactivated poliovirus vaccine, as well as vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella.
Dr. Reynalyn Elshazly, national immunization program coordinator of DOH regional office, said there are 92,197 eligible children for vaccination but only 36 percent or 31,190 were vaccinated.
Elshazly said there are still 61,849 children aged Zero to 23 months old in the whole of Zamboanga Peninsula that are still unvaccinated.
“They are susceptible to VPDs (Vaccine Preventable Diseases). Outbreaks are imminent due to the large number of unvaccinated children” Elshazly said.
“This is the reason why we will have a regional catch-up vaccination,” she added. (SunStar Zamboanga)