Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered a mass vaccination in the locality’s 142 barangays and intensify efforts against polio.
She appealed to families living in gated subdivisions and condominiums to allow doctors into their vicinities.
“We strongly seek the cooperation of home-owners associations and building officials to ensure that all children under five are vaccinated. Please allow our doctors to implement our citywide efforts even in private subdivisions and high-rise condos,” Belmonte said.
She added there would be continuous a house-to-house vaccination effort, and fixed vaccination areas in barangays, malls and even bus stations.
The second round of vaccinations is set on Nov. 25 until Dec. 7.
Belmonte recently spearheaded the synchronized oral polio vaccination (or Sabayang Patak Laban sa Polio) as part of the mitigating efforts against the reemergence of the poliovirus in the country after 20 years.
To support the Department of Health’s nationwide campaign against the highly infectious disease, the city government has started its vaccination drive for children from five years old and younger.
As of Oct. 20, the city’s health department, DOH and its partner agencies have successfully vaccinated 160,000 children during the first round, or 60 percent of its overall target of 274,785 children in the city.
“I thank the 323 teams of health workers from the city health department, DoH and other agencies in leading this extensive vaccination drives. There is more work to be done to ensure that our children are safe from this contagious virus,” Belmonte said.
The city government said there is still a significant number of parents who refused to have their children vaccinated despite the explanations of health workers.
The mayor urged parents, guardians, community leaders, and religious groups to enlist their children to be part of the vaccination drive to stop the disease from spreading rapidly.
“Oral polio vaccines are free, therefore I appeal to everyone to have their children vaccinated. It is our responsibility to protect these children and our communities from polio,” she said.