BACOOR CITY, Cavite – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Calabarzon (Cavite/Laguna/Batangas/Rizal/Quezon) has launched the “Measles, Rubella, Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA)” campaign for 2023.

The campaign was also in collaboration with the national and local government units (LGUs), non-government agencies, and stakeholders to strengthen the campaign to protect children against “Vaccine Preventable Diseases” (VPDs).

The MR-OPV SIA campaign aims to immunize at least 95% of children nine months to 5 years old with measles vaccine regardless of measles vaccination status, with a minimum of at least four-week interval from the last dose of MCV received. And at least 95% of children 0 to 5 years old were immunized with bOPV during the MR-OPV SIA, regardless of OPV/IPV vaccination status, with at least a four-week interval from the last dose of bOPV received.

“Ang measles ang isa sa mga pinaka-nakakahawang sakit na nakakaapekto sa kalusugan ng mga bata. Ang mga batang walang bakuna ang itinuturing na high risk sa measles na maaaring magdulot ng seryosong komplikasyon na maaaring mauwi pa sa kamatayan. Kaya naman lubhang napakahalaga ng immunization laban sa sakit na ito na siyang nagbibigay proteksyon sa kanila at maging ang pagkalat pa nito sa mga komunidad,” said DOH Calabarzon Regional Director Ariel I. Valencia.

A total of 100 children received their vaccines on Wednesday during the launching of MR-OPV SIA in Bacoor City, Cavite facilitated by the Bacoor LGU, held at Bgy. Zapote I Covered Court. Children aged nine months to 5 years old received their measles vaccine, while the 0-5 years old received the bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV).

“Let us remember that vaccines have gone through many studies and have been proven effective over the years. Kaya wala pong dapat ikabahala ang mga magulang. We call on all parents and guardians to join us in this fight! Huwag po natin ipagkait sa mga bata ang karapatan nila sa bakuna. Our main goal here ay walang batang maiiwan sa kampanyang ito,” said National Immunization Program (NIP) Regional Coordinator Dr. Mark Nicholas O. Santos.

From January 1 to March 31, 2023, there were 49 cases of measles and rubella reported in the Calabarzon Region. This is equivalent to a 213 % increase compared to the same period last year, with 23 cases.

In 2021, immunization coverage worldwide dramatically decreased to 81%, or one out of five children do not have access to essential vaccines through immunization services. In the same year, the Philippines was among the top 10 countries with the highest number of “zero doses” children globally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The World Health Organization (WHO) raises awareness of the benefits of immunization and ensures that countries obtain the necessary guidance and technical support to implement high-quality immunization programs dedicated to making routine immunization services accessible to Filipino children.

The DOH and its partners will focus on catch-up and community-based immunization starting May 2023 as it aligns its actions to achieving the targets of the “Chikiting Ligtas sa dagdag bakuna kontra Polio, Rubella at Tigdas,” a nationwide campaign focused on increasing routine immunization coverage to protect the lives of children at risk of exposure to VPDs.

Under the MR-OPV SIA 2023 campaign, the DOH will go through all corners of the community. Apart from house-to-house vaccination, there will also be fixed and temporary posts. The fixed posts are the health centers where there will be free vaccines every day. At the same time, the temporary posts will be placed in strategic places such as markets, plazas, and others.

The DOH has also tied up with malls, including SM Malls and Waltermart, and even with the private sector, including the Philippine Pediatric Society-Southern Tagalog Chapter (PPS-STC).

MR-OPV SIA Campaign 2023 will officially start on May 2, 2023, but a series of launchings will take place this April in different provinces, cities, and municipalities in the country.