The Department of Health (DOH) launched here on Friday its immunization campaign against measles, rubella, and polio to protect children against these vaccine-preventable diseases.

This city was chosen to host the regional launching for Phase II of the Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA) that will start on Feb. 1 until the 28th.

The month-long vaccination in the region will target at least 95 percent of eligible children in Central Luzon.

A total of 967,997 infants and children aged 9-59 months will be administered with measles-rubella vaccine and 1,133,017 children aged 0-59 months with bivalent oral polio vaccine regardless of immunization status.

Those who attended the launching event were DOH Undersecretary Gerardo V. Bayugo, DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development (DOH CLCHD) Director Cesar C. Cassion, World Health Organization (WHO) consultant Dr. Anthony Omoko, City Health Officer Verona Guevarra, and city and regional health workers.

“Let us educate the parents, the caregivers, our local government units, and the community about this campaign, especially our children because this is for them, they are the future of our country. Walang batang maiiwan tungo sa magandang kinabukasan (no children must be left behind towards a good future),” Bayugo said.

Omoko, for his part, said “I would like to encourage my colleagues. We must not stop until we were able to vaccinate the last eligible children.”

During the event, five children received measles and rubella and oral polio vaccines.

Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting emphasized the protection of children against these diseases especially during this time of a pandemic.

“Amid the pandemic, we continue to face other diseases such as measles, rubella and polio that threaten our society, especially the lives of our children. In order to ensure the health of our young residents, I would like to invite our parents and caretakers to enlist their children in the MR-OPV SIA,” Cabigting said.

Cassion said health protocols will be implemented during the entire duration of the immunization campaign to prevent transmission of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the community.

The infection prevention control measures include wearing of face masks, use of alcohol-based sanitizer among children, temperature checks, physical distancing, and daily screening of health workers.

“Immunization is an indisputable human right. It is one of the essential health services needed to be delivered promptly especially in order to protect the population from outbreaks,” Cassion said.

From 2016-2019, the number of fully immunized children in Central Luzon ranged only from 64-70 percent of the target.

The DOH CLCHD said that consistent low coverage of routine immunization may result in the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, rubella and polio.

From July to September 2020, children under five years old in Central Luzon were given two doses of monovalent oral polio vaccine, in response to the confirmed polio type 2 case in Nueva Ecija.

However, Cassion said there is a further need to provide additional protection against other types of polio viruses.

He said that outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases could be catastrophic for communities already battling the impact of Covid-19. (PNA)