The Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) is ramping up efforts to attains its target of 25,335 children for the measles-rubella simultaneous immunization activity (MR-SIA), amid a low turnout due to heavy monsoon rains in recent days.
“We hope we can encourage our parents and guardians to bring their children and wards aged six to 59 months so that they can be given the measles-rubella vaccine and Vitamin A drops. This is very important because this is a catch-up and supplemental, giving an added layer of protection for the children against the harsh effect of measles and German measles,” said Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, city health services office chief, said in a media interview on Friday.
She said health workers are facing difficulties due to three weeks of continuous heavy rains, as they brave the weather to visit homes with eligible children.
CHSO record shows that as of Aug. 19, only 3,303 children have been vaccinated.
There were 621 aged six to 12 months; 610 aged 13 to 23 months and 2,072 aged 24 to 59 months.
Health authorities hope to attain a 95 percent vaccination rate on the last day of the immunization drive on Aug. 28.
Brillantes said that starting Aug. 22, the city health services office will be open to give MR vaccination, including the weekend after.
They will also accommodate girls aged 9 to 14 for the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines.
Aside from weekend services, the CHSO also lobbied with grandparents during a senior citizens’ meeting to help convince family members to receive the free MR vaccines and Vitamin A drops.
“Starting on Saturday, aside from fixed sites at the health centers, there will be many health workers going around knocking on doors until August 28 to convince parents to have the children vaccinated,” she said.
“Wala pong dapat ikabahala ang ating mga residente, nanay, tatay sa MR-SIA, dalhin po natin ang mga batang edad 6 hanggang 59 months old. Matagal na po itong bakuna na ito at proven nang nakakatulong sa mga Kabataan (Residents- monther, fathers should not worry worry and they should bring the children aged 5 to 59 months. These vaccines have been there and they have been proven to help protect the children).”
Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) Cordillera, earlier warned that unvaccinated children are at risk of severe complications from measles, including pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, brain complications, and death, particularly among those with weakened immune systems.
She noted that rubella infection can also cause serious birth defects when contracted by pregnant women.
Pangilinan recalled seeing severely ill children with measles during her assignment in Bontoc, Mountain Province, where many children were unvaccinated.
She said her own four children had measles but experienced only mild symptoms because they had been vaccinated.
“The government continues to provide these vaccines because there are still vaccine-preventable diseases which are recorded and the country wants to eliminate it,” she said.
Health workers will establish fixed vaccination sites across the region and conduct house-to-house outreach to encourage parents to bring eligible children for vaccination and protect them from potentially life-threatening complications. (PNA)
