DASMARIÑAS CITY, Cavite – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) has intensified its campaign for Measles-Rubella Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity or MR-OPV SIA to generate demand and increase the uptake of supplemental immunization for children five years and below.

Through the collaborative effort of the DOH-CHD Calabarzon Health Education Promotion and Communication Management Unit (HEP-CMU) and the National Immunization Program (NIP), with coordination with the Provincial Health Team Office and the local government units (LGUs) of Dasmariñas, Cavite, and Taytay, Rizal, selected barangays were used as sites for the demand generation activities to reach as many children at risk of measles, rubella, polio, and its complications.

In line with the campaign, DOH Calabarzon Regional Director Ariel I. Valencia and Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga led the house-to-house campaign in Barangay Paliparan on Monday, May 22, 2023.

“Ito ay bahagi ng inilunsad na kampanya sa dagdag na bakuna. Katuwang natin ngayon ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Dasma sa pangunguna ni Mayor Barzaga at ng ating kapitan. Patuloy ang mga programang naglalayon na protektahan ang kalusugan ng mga kabataan. Walang gamot sa mga sakit na ito ngunit maiiwasan sa pamamagitan ng bakuna na ating inilalapit sa kanila ngayon,” Valencia said.

“We are one with the DOH in this campaign, at tiwala kami na makakamit natin ang target for MR-OPV SIA with the remaining weeks left until May 31,” Barzaga said during an interview.

In the province of Rizal, Valencia and Dr. Aldwin S. Aguinaldo, Municipal Health Officer, Charrylyn Reyes, NIP Coordinator, and Belinda Alcantara, Development Management Officer, have also conducted an onsite vaccination, where several parents had their children vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

Based on the MR-OPV SIA unofficial quick count data of May 22, 2023, DOH Calabarzon logged a total of 798, 064 (58.68%) children aged 9-59 months have already received vaccines against measles-rubella (MR).

Laguna logged the highest accomplishment with 187,682 (68.70%), followed by Batangas with 143,458 (59.30%); Lucena with 15,313 (59.12%); Rizal with 167,954 (57.79%); Quezon with 99,837 (56.94%); Cavite 183,820 (52.05%).

For bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) among children aged 0-59 months in priority areas, DOH Calabarzon recorded 151,086 (51.39%) total accomplishments; Quezon topped the provinces with 11,926 (71.00%), followed by Batangas with 24,298 (64.36%); Laguna 30,645 (51.18%); Lucena 17,978 (58.87%); Rizal 43,136 (45.11%); and Cavite 23,103 (37.56%).

With nine days left, DOH Calabarzon targets to vaccinate a total of 494,053 children until May 31, 2023, to achieve the 95% of the total population of 1,360,123 children 9 to 59 months for the MR vaccine and 294,014 children 0 to 59 months for the OPV.

The DOH continuously encourages all parents and guardians to take their children five years old and below to the nearest health centers and avail the vaccines intended for them.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Dennis Abrina