Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) – The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday spearheaded the immunization of some children and adults in Antipolo City, Rizal.
The activity was part of the Health Department’s “Chikiting Bakunation” to help protect Filipino children against vaccine-preventable diseases amid the pandemic and in celebration of World Immunization Week.
The DOH aims to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the remaining approximately 1.1 million Filipino infants who missed routine immunization in 2021.
Aside from infants and children, pregnant women and senior citizens also received vaccination deemed necessary as part of the “whole-of-society approach” to accommodate all individuals. COVID-19 vaccinations were also available at the site.
A total of 200 individuals were selected from different areas in Rizal for the shots. The province was earlier identified as having low immunization rate.
According to health experts, newborns 0-12 months can get Bacille Calmete-Guerin Vaccine (BCG) against Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B vaccine, Pentavalent vaccine, Oral-Polio vaccine (OPV), Inactivated Polio vaccine (IPV), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), and Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccine (MMR).
For children ages 6-7 and 12-13, the Measles Rubella and Tetanus Diptheria (MR-TD), first and second doses, are given.
Meanwhile, female youngsters ages 9-14 can get Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines.
For adults, pregnant women are advised to receive at least two doses of Tetanus Diphtheria vaccines before their delivery.
Individuals aged 60 and above are expected to get jabbed with Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine 23 (PPV 23) and Influenza vaccine.
“Mahalaga po samin na mga senior citizen dahil dagdag proteksyon din ito sa amin…hangga’t mayroon po, gugustuhin ko na magpabakuna uli,” said 65-year-old Mary Maceda from Antipolo.
[Translation: It (Getting vaccinated) is important for us senior citizens because it is added protection. I want to get vaccinated until supply lasts.]
DOH noted this call for protection through immunization could safeguard the country against diseases in the future.
“So kaya po ila-launch po natin World Immunization ay para i-remind po o ipaalala sa lahat na marami pong bakuna mula sanggol hanggang matanda, buntis, at young children at adolescent po,” said Dr. Mark Nicholas Santos, Region 4-A Medical Outcome Manager of National Immunization program.
[Translation: So we launched this during World Immunization Week to remind everyone that there are many vaccines available from infants to senior citizens, pregnant, young children, and adolescents.]
Data from the DOH Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) shows that children ages 6-7 reached the 95 percent target, with 284,381 children inoculated from the 306,849 eligible population. These children were inoculated with Measles-Rubella vaccine, while 291,151 for the Tetanus Diphteria vaccine during the catch-up campaign last October 2021 to January 31, 2022.
The remaining age groups, including those who are less than a year old and 60 years old and above, are lagging behind their respective coverages based on partial records in the first three months of 2022.
“Gusto natin na i-refocus yung importance ng routine vaccination dahil sa dami ng batang hindi nabakunahan and we’re looking for outbreaks uli. Naalala ninyo nagkaroon tayo ng measles outbreak, polio outbreak, ayaw nating mangyari uli yan,” Dr. Carla Orozco, Immunization Specialist of UNICEF Philippines told CNN Philippines.
[Translation: We want to refocus the importance of routine vaccination because many children are still not vaccinated and we’re looking for outbreaks. You remember that we had measles outbreak and polio outbreak. We don’t want that to happen again.]
Thirty-five other provinces throughout the country also conducted immunization efforts.
The routine immunization is set every Thursday and Friday of the last week of the month from April to June.
