The Health department on Wednesday posted an average of 95.58-percent coverage of children zero to 59 months old who were vaccinated against polio for the Oct. 14 to 27 round of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio in the National Capital Region and in some areas of Mindanao including Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Davao del Sur and Davao City.
READ: DOH sets mass vaccination to prevent spread of polio
We are elated over this high turnout of parents and caregivers who had their young children immunized against polio,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
“This means the majority of them have overcome their distrust of our vaccines and this augurs well for our other immunization programs.”
A total of 1,230,101 (96 percent coverage) children zero to 59 months old from 17 cities/municipalities in the NCR were vaccinated with the Oral Polio Vaccine or OPV. District II, which consists of Marikina, Pasig, Pateros, Taguig and Quezon City had the most number (505,739 or 103 percent) of children vaccinated.
Among all the cities in the NCR, Makati had the highest number of children vaccinated at 52,978 (107 percent).
In Davao del Sur, a total of 66,777 (92 percent) children zero to 59 months old from 10 cities/municipalities were given OPV.
The Municipality of Santa Cruz had the highest (10,667 or 102 percent) coverage reported. In Davao City, a total of 188,675 (101 percent) children zero to 59 months old were given OPV.
Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur reported a total of 143,164 (85 percent coverage) children zero to 59 months old from 40 cities/municipalities were vaccinated with OPV. Saguiaran Municipality had the highest (4,079) coverage reported.
Let us sustain this success throughout the succeeding rounds of vaccination to stop the spread of the disease and to make the country polio-free,” Duque said.
READ: Maguindanao girl 3rd polio case
We are encouraging parents and caregivers to support our “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio,” Duque said.
His department’s Synchronized Polio Vaccination campaign started on Oct. 14 in specific areas in Mindanao and in Metro Manila.
On Nov. 24, the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio will start its final round for the NCR and its second round for the whole of Mindanao. The third round for the whole of Mindanao will begin on Jan. 6, 2020.
On Monday, the department confirmed the third polio case in Datu Piang in Maguindanao involving a four-year-old girl.
The department said it was set to conduct a vaccination campaign in Datu Piang from Nov. 4 to 8 aiming to vaccinate 4,254 children aged zero to 59 months old.
Nineteen years after the Philippines was declared by the World Health Organization polio-free in 2000, the department confirmed that the disease was re-emerging in the country.
Polio is an infectious disease that spreads rapidly and can cause paralysis and, on rare occasions, can be fatal.
READ: Have kids take polio vaccine, QC’s Joy pleads