Manila targets completion of measles jabs before arrival of Covid-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Health Department (MHD) is eyeing to finish its vaccination drive against measles and rubella (German measles) before the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines in the country.

Manila City health officer Dr. Arnold Pangan said Thursday that the local measles vaccination drive should be completed before the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines, so that health personnel of the local government unit can fully focus on vaccination activities against the new coronavirus.

So far, 38,603 children aged nine to 59 months (four years and nine months) in the city have already been vaccinated against measles and rubella since the inoculation program started last Monday.

The figure represents 27.10 percent of the MHD’s target, according to Pangan.

He said the city government aims to vaccinate about 146,000 children by mid-February.

“If we can do it in two weeks time, mas maganda po kasi baka dumating na ’yung COVID-19 vaccine. Baka magdodoble-doble pa po ‘yung trabaho nila (health workers), so pinipilit natin na bilisan pa para po mas ma-achive natin ‘yung goal natin the soonest possible time,” Dr. Pangan said in a statement.

(If we can do it in two weeks time, that would be better because Covid-19 vaccines may already arrive, and then the work of our health workers may become doubly hard. That’s why we want to expedite the vaccination so that we can achieve our goal at the soonest possible time.)

The vaccination program against measles is being implemented nationwide through coordination between the Department of Health, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, RELIEF International, Healthy Philippines, and local government units across the country.

EDV