Navotas kicks off antipolio drive

The Navotas local government announced on Tuesday that 99 percent of children in the city had been given antipolio shots, days after the Department of Health (DOH) launched its third round of the nationwide Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign.

Citing the increasing number of polio cases nationwide, Mayor Toby Tiangco urged residents to have their children vaccinated against the crippling disease between Jan. 27 to Feb. 9, with an extension between Feb. 24 and March 9.

“Our health workers are now doing the rounds to ensure that all our children are given protection against polio. I encourage parents to do their share in the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign and let their children be vaccinated,” Tiangco said.

The DOH announced this month that since an outbreak was first reported in the country in September, there had been a total of 16 cases. —Meg Adonis

QC gov’t to probe teen suicides

Following a suicide incident at a mall on Saturday, the Quezon City council will conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation with mall officials, school authorities and mental health experts.

According to the local government, this was the second recorded case of a teenager taking his life inside a mall in the city.

Last October, a senior high school student also killed himself at a mall. Councilors Irene Belmonte, Lala Sotto and PM Vargas, chairs of the committee on education, science and technology; committee on health and committee on infrastructure, respectively, will spearhead the probe.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the probe would focus on understanding mental health issues among the youth and finding ways to address them. —Mariejo S. Ramos