Free vaccines for students in public schools Joy Cherry Quito

A free immunization will be given to all the students at the different public high schools in Central Visayas eliminate vaccine preventable diseases.
This vaccination program is in line with Executive Order No. 633 that was signed to implement the national commitment for “Bakuna and Una sa Sanggol at Ina,” which aims to eliminate measles and neonatal tetanus, eradicate polio and control hepatitis B, among others.
The program will be launched at 8 a.m. today at the Abellana National High School.
Ashritiedley Cabinatan, nurse coordinator of the Department of Health – Expanded Program on Immunization (DOH-EPI), said the program is targeting to vaccinate a total of 341,371 students.
The students will be given a booster dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and tetanus-diptheria vaccine.
The DOH,  together with the Department of Education, will screen the female students to determine if they are pregnant so they can be spared from the MMR immunization.
MMR vaccine is not advisable for pregnant women because of its theoretical risk to the mother and the fetus.
Cabinatan said the vaccine will last for five years.