Caloocan administers 57,000 vaccines to kids against measles, rubella, polio

The Department of Health launched an intensified vaccination program for children in this file photo taken in April 2018. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Over 57,000 children were vaccinated against measles, rubella and polio in Caloocan City during the first week of the month-long nationwide supplemental immunization campaign.

The said campaign is part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) “Chikiting Ligtas 2023” vaccination program, which aims to vaccinate kids against measles, rubella and polio, and will run until the end of May.

According to the city government of Caloocan in a statement, 26,181 of the total were kids vaccinated against measles, while 31,743 were immunized against polio.

Meanwhile, 3,898 other children received vitamin A supplements.

Caloocan City Mayor Dale Malapitan then urged residents, especially parents, to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases that could be avoided.

“Mahalaga na kaagapay natin ang mga magulang sa isinasagawa nating malawakang bakunahan laban sa rubella, polio, at tigdas,” Malapitan said.

(It is crucial that we accompany the parents in our widespread vaccination against rubella, polio, and measles.)

City Health Department head Evelyn Cuevas, for her part, assured the public that the city government aims to reach all barangays to immunize children and protect them from polio and measles.

“Wala pong lunas ang mga karamdamang ito at tanging pagpapabakuna ang susi upang magkaroon ng proteksyon ang mga bata, kaya naman sinisiguro po natin na may sapat na kaalaman ang mga mamamayan at mapuntahan ang bawat barangay,” Cuevas said.

(There is no cure for these diseases and only vaccination is the key to protecting the children, that is why we are making sure that the citizens have enough knowledge and that every barangay can be visited.)

The said immunization drive is being conducted to avert outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, specifically measles, rubella, and polio.

To recall, a Unicef report showed that the public perception of the importance of vaccines for children in the Philippines declined by 25 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the DOH stressing how it could affect the country’s public health, especially concerning measles and polio.

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