THE Zamboanga City Health Office has deployed over 100 vaccination teams to reach out target population by the end of the month as the nationwide measles, rubella and polio supplemental immunization activity (MR-OPV SIA) kicked off Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe together with City Health Office personnel and village officials led the kick off ceremony at the Sangali covered court to demonstrate the city’s commitment to the campaign which aims to provide additional protection to eligible children and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, rubella and polio.
Dalipe enjoined parents, guardians and caregivers of children Zero to 59 months old to submit their children for immunization during the month-long MR-OPV SIA either through the house-to-house, fixed sites or mobile sites approach that the City Health Office has adopted.
Dr. Cathy Garcia, assistant city health officer, cited the importance of complete immunization for children Zero to 59 months old stressing that this is necessary to forestall impending outbreaks.
Garcia said they target to vaccinate 79,973 children aged nine to 59 months with the measles rubella vaccine and 93,802 children zero to 59 months old with oral polio vaccine.
The MR-OPV SIA ends on May 31.(SunStar Zamboanga)