Zambo rolls out ‘Measles Rubella - Polio” immunity drive

THE LOCAL government urged parents and guardians to have their children immunized against Measles Rubella and Polio.

Mayor Beng Climaco with Dr. Ananda Amarasinghe, World Health Organization Technical Officer. (Eugene Elnar)

Mayor Beng Climaco said the immunization targets children 9 months to below 5 years old. She also met last week with Dr. Ananda Amarasinghe, World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Officer, who was here to monitor preparations of the local government for the immunization from October 26 until November 25.

Amarasinghe was accompanied by Dr. Cheng Sarmiento and Marivic Arquiza, of the National Immunization Program (NIP) of the Department of Health; and City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Miravite with Cora Pagotaisidro, NIP coordinator; and Christine Lim, City Health Office Health Education and Promotions Officer.

The Department of Health said an estimated 2.4 million children under the age of 5 are susceptible to measles - one of the most contagious diseases in the world. About 9 out of 10 people exposed to the measles virus - who are not immune - will contract the disease. It can cause high-grade fever, rashes, cough, and eye infection and can lead to complications such as pneumonia, ear infection, blindness, severe diarrhoea, and swelling of the brain.

Polio, on the other hand, is a potentially debilitating disease that causes fever, neck stiffness, muscle weakness and can eventually lead to lifelong paralysis. There is an ongoing outbreak of polio with cases reported from Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance and presence of environmental samples with poliovirus. If severe enough, both diseases can ultimately lead to death. There is no specific treatment for these illnesses. The only reliable protection is through vaccination.

The nationwide Measles Rubella - Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization will be rolled out in two phases - Phase 1 from October 26 to November 25 in Mindanao Regions, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, MIMAROPA Region, and Bicol Region.

Phase 2 will be conducted in February next year in Visayas Region, National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON. Children 9-59 months old will be given Measles - Rubella vaccine while 0-59 months old will be provided with oral Polio vaccine. (Zamboanga Post)

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