DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The first round of the City’s massive polio vaccination campaign have so far recorded a positive turnout.
From October 14 to 20, the vaccination program has so far covered 160,557 children, according to the partial cumulative and consolidated oral polio vaccination (OPV) report by Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte, in her Tuesday privilege speech. This means that 85.9 percent of the 186,869 children to be covered by the oral polio vaccination (OPV) program dubbed as the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio have already been given the vaccine.
The vaccination campaign is being done in cooperation with the City Health Office, as well as the Department of Health (DOH), United Nations Children’s Fund, and World Health Organization.
Among the areas that have already achieved 100 percent coverage include District A (Barangays 1-A to 10-A) and District C (Barangays 21-C to 30-C) in the first district; Baguio district, Calinan District, and Toril A District.
The main office of the City Health Office also vaccinated 250 children while the vaccination conducted in malls and churches covered 1,272 children.
Two other rounds of massive vaccination are set on Nov. 25 to Dec. 7 and Jan. 2 up to Jan. 18.
Meanwhile, major hospitals in the city have also scheduled vaccination dates as satellite areas on the following dates:
1. Davao Doctors Hospital on October 24-27, 2019
2. Brokenshire Hospital on October 24-26, 2019
3. Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC) on October 24-25, 2019
The DOH and other concerned stakeholders continue to encourage parents to have their children aged 0-59 months be vaccinated with the OPV to protect themselves polio virus which reemerged since it was declared eradicated 19 years ago.
“Polio is an infectious disease that can spread rapidly and can cause paralysis,” Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Abdullah Dumama, Jr., said. “In rare conditions, it can be fatal.”
Earlier this month, Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte, chairperson of the Committee on Health, proposed a mandatory immunization of infants and children to help the health sector meet their goal of achieving 100 percent immunization coverage of children below five years old in the city. (davaotoday.com)
