HARD WORK | Health workers cross a small stream amid the heat to bring vaccines to households in a remote community in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. (Photo courtesy of the Zamboanga Peninsula office of the Department of Health)
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — The sweltering heat being experienced in Zamboanga Peninsula has weighed down the administration of measles, rubella, and polio vaccines throughout the region, health officials said.
Dr. Joshua Brillantes, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), told the Inquirer that only 61 percent of the intended population had been covered by the immunization drive, 34 percent short of their 95-percent target.
Brillantes said that the low turnout had nothing to do with “vaccine fatigue” or hesitancy but more because of the increasing heat index in different parts of the region, composed of the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.
“There is no reported resistance due to COVID scare or hesitancy; these vaccines had been used for several years now. The only reason is the weather conditions — rainy, then suddenly very hot conditions. The heat index is very high affecting the mobility of our field health workers, and parents of the eligible population suspended the vaccination because their children are having coughs and colds,” Brillantes said.
A few expressed hesitancy due to religious beliefs, he added.
Target
On Wednesday, monitoring by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration showed the actual computed heat index at 44ºC in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga City.
The state weather bureau classifies this level (42ºC to 51ºC) as “danger,” when heat exhaustion and heat cramps are “likely” and heat stroke is “probable” with continuous exposure.
The DOH is targeting to vaccinate 768,792 children, 354,774 children aged 9 months to 59 months to be given measles-rubella shots, and 414,018 children up to 59 months will be administered the oral polio vaccine.
Since May 2, when the nationwide immunization drive kicked off, 461,275 children in the region had been immunized.
So far, the highest recorded immunization coverage is in Dapitan City with 80 percent, and the lowest in Zamboanga Sibugay with only 30 percent. In Zamboanga City, the coverage is at 63 percent.
Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, city health officer here, said they were targeting to administer the measles-rubella vaccine to 79,973 children and 93,802 children with oral polio vaccine.
So far, 50,383 children have been vaccinated in this city for measles and rubella. “We are confident to reach 100 percent before the end of this month,” Miravite said.
Miravite said the high heat index in the city also affected the mobility of healthcare workers.