DOH Extends Anti-Polio Vaccination Drive Until April
DOH – The Department of Health (DOH) recently said that it’s extending its anti-polio vaccination drive in NCR and Mindanao until April 2020.
The health department said that two rounds of the “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” campaign will be conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR) from January 27 to February and March 9 to March 20.
According to ABS-CBN, a limited response round will be conducted in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga City, Isabela City, and Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat on January 6 to 12.
As for the rest of Mindanao, they will also have two rounds whcih is set on February 17 to March 1 and March 23 to April 4.
The department said that it aimed to gain the 95% coverage in each round in order to make sure that no child is left unvaccinated.
“We need the participation of everybody to successfully end this outbreak – other government agencies, the local government units, partners, our local health workers and bakunators,”
As per the report, the last round was set this month in Mindanao prior to the extension.
The department confirmed the return of polio in the Philippines on September 2019, just 19 years after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the country free from the paralytic disease.
About 9 cases of polio have been reported in the country on that month.
Polio is a highly infectious paralytic disease which mostly affects young children. It is caused by the poliovirus and severe cases of this disease may lead to paralysis and death.
Children are required to receive 3 OPV doses and one shot of inactivated polio vaccine to be fully protected from polio.
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