HEALTH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III on Sunday encouraged the public to take part in the immunization from vaccine-preventable diseases through its upcoming Measles, Rubella and Oral Poliomyelitis Vaccine (MR-OPV) campaign from October 26 to November 25 in several regions.
“We should be vigilant about other diseases that can affect some of our most vulnerable like infants and children, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The child’s first five years are very formative to his or her health. The illnesses we are vaccinating them against can be very damaging and will have repercussions on their growth and maturity. That is why we are urging parents not to take these conditions lightly, but must vaccinate their children as soon as possible,” Duque said.
Duque also assured the public that health protocols will be strictly enforced during this campaign to prevent any inadvertent transmission of Covid-19.
“We understand their fears of getting infected with Covid-19 if they go to our clinics to have their children vaccinated,” he explained. “But we have committed ourselves to safety and the clinics will be making sure that health protocols are followed by health-care workers and patients alike,” he said.
The DOH chief stressed that the protection of children against measles, polio, and rubella are equally important during the time of pandemic. The vaccines used to counter measles, rubella, and polio have been proven safe for the past decades.
“No child should have to suffer because of them, especially because the vaccines are free,” he added.
Region 5 and Region 4B will be the first locations for the program’s implementation because of the need of the children in those areas to be vaccinated from these diseases.
The DOH is also setting the stage for the campaign’s first phase which will cover Regions 1, 2, 4B, 5, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and all of Mindanao.
Safe and high-quality measles-rubella vaccine (MR) and bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) will be distributed for free, following safety measures. Children from 9-59 months old will be given the MR vaccine while those who are 0-59 months old will receive the bOPV.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), which is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families, also lent its support for the immunization program such as in the acquisition of 19.2-million doses of MR vaccine and 10-million doses of OPV.
Unicef’s consultants will also help ensure that the local government units (LGU) have the necessary resources and instruction to succeed in the campaign.
Syringes, safety collector boxes, surgical masks and face shields will be allotted for the vaccination teams and supervisors. Indelible inks for marking and reporting and recording forms—essential to the campaign’s operations—will also be rolled out to the different regions. Duque has asked for the public’s participation for the vaccination campaigns for MR-OPV.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez