DOH eyes 40,000 Cabanatuan children for antipolio shots

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philill—More than 40,000 children in 89 villages in Cabanatuan City are being targeted for a “catch-up vaccination” program against polio after a case has been confirmed there, a Department of Health (DOH) official said.

Cesar Cassion, DOH regional director in Central Luzon, said stocks of oral polio vaccine remained sufficient for the required three doses for kids who are five years old and below.

The first case in the region, a 1-year-old boy, was found through surveillance by barangay health workers, Cassion said.

The boy experienced fever and sudden onset weakness of the left lower limb.

This brought to 17 the number of polio cases in the country.

Cassion said barangay health workers were also deployed to teach good personal hygiene like hand washing, use of toilets, drinking safe water and thoroughly cooking of food.

Polio, considered to be an infectious disease, spreads rapidly and causes paralysis.

—Tonette Orejas