DOH: 95.4% Filipino kids covered by polio immunization program

MANILA, Philippines — Around 95 percent of Filipino kids under the age of five have been vaccinated as the Department of Health (DOH) intensified its campaign against polio, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday.

“We reached 95.4 percent, so that’s a pretty good coverage,” Duque said when asked, at the sidelines of the Philippine Noncommunicable Disease Investment Case Report launch in Manila, how many children have been vaccinated.

The DOH concluded last Sunday the first round of a massive vaccination drive dubbed “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (Simultaneous Drops Against Polio).”

The DOH’s vaccination drive covered Metro Manila and parts of Mindanao, particularly Lanao Del Sur, Marawi City, Davao del Sur, and Davao City, which were considered high-risk areas by the department.

The second round of the vaccination program will start on Nov. 25, covering Metro Manila and now the whole of Mindanao.

“NCR has performed very well at 96 percent of its target, and Mindanao on the average has 93.6 percent,” Duque explained.

“But the NCR has a 1.2 million target compared to Mindanao, which is the rest, is 700 so that’s 75 and 25 percent,” he added.

On Monday, the DOH confirmed the third polio case in Datu Piang in Maguindanao, involving a four-year-old girl.

The DOH said that it is set to conduct a vaccination campaign in Datu Piang from Nov. 4 to 8, aiming to vaccinate 4,254 children aged 0 to 59 months old. /je

READ: BREAKING: Third polio case in PH recorded in Maguindanao – DOH