Polio Vaccination Begins October 26 – DOH

The Department of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, will carry out the national campaign for supplementary immunization against measles and polio starting on October 26 of this year. . In the Philippines, an estimated 2.4 million children under the age of five are susceptible to measles. Measles or “tigdas” is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. Among those who are not immune, up to 9 out of 10 people exposed to the measles virus will contract the disease. The national campaign for supplemental immunization against measles, rubella, and oral polio vaccine will be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 will be held from October 26 to November 25, 2020 in the Mindanao, CAR, I, II, IV-B and V Regions. Phase 2 will be held in February 2021 in the Regions of Visayas, NCR, III and IV-A. DOH is running the campaign for children under the age of five: about 9.4 million children for the measles and rubella vaccine and 6.9 million for the oral polio vaccine. “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a high-quality immunization campaign is urgently needed to stop measles transmission and potential outbreaks. We encourage parents and caregivers to get their children vaccinated. The measles vaccine is safe, effective, and free. To protect themselves against COVID-19 infections, all health workers have received training and provided personal protective equipment, ”said Health Secretary Francisco Duque. In 2020, outbreaks of measles are being reported in the Philippines. As of August 2020, around 3,500 measles cases with 36 deaths had been reported. Most of the cases correspond to children under the age of five. Measles is a dangerous and deadly disease, with complications that can include severe diarrhea and dehydration, pneumonia, eye and ear complications, encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, or permanent disability. There is no specific treatment for measles. The only reliable protection against measles is vaccination. “While measles is highly contagious, it is also a preventable disease. We must not lose the decades of progress we have made in immunizing and protecting Filipino children, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The measles vaccine is safe and has been used for 50 years. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks, and it is estimated that 2-3 million lives are saved worldwide each year, ”said WHO Representative Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe. As a result of the immunization challenges before and during the pandemic, many children are missing routine immunization in the Philippines. Reasons for the low coverage include fears of contracting COVID-19, a restricted healthcare system, and the rapid spread of misinformation about vaccination. “We are at a particularly difficult time in which the immunization of children is threatened. We must all do our part to ensure that the children in our family are vaccinated and that we provide the correct information to parents, community members, and among our peers. COVID-19 is a challenge and an opportunity to reflect on what needs to change for Filipino children to survive and thrive, ”said UNICEF Representative in the Philippines, Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov. WHO and UNICEF are fully committed to supporting the Philippine government in the fight against measles. WHO and UNICEF support DOH in the procurement and delivery of vaccines, the development of immunization guidelines and communication materials, and the capacity development of DOH staff nationwide to plan and ensure that all eligible children are protected by safe and effective vaccines against measles, rubella and polio.