DOH exec: COVID-19 hampers polio vaccination drive

MANILA, Philippines — Some communities are now facing a shortage of health workers to administer polio vaccines due to challenges brought by the coronavirus pandemic, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.

In an online press forum on Friday, DOH immunization manager Dr. Wilda Silva said there were instances when “vaccinators” needed to undergo mandatory quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Makikita po natin na despite the planning and micro-planning na ginagawa natin, although in the beginning nagiging sapat po yung ating number of health workers, hindi po maiiwasan na they will be exposed because they are doing both Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio and also assisting COVID-19 efforts,” she said.

(We can see that despite the planning and micro-planning that we are doing, although in the beginning there are enough health workers, it can’t be avoided that they will be exposed because they are doing both Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio and also assisting COVID-19 efforts.)

“There are instances na nakukulangan po tayo…Nababawasan yung ating mga health workers na nagsasagawa ng pagpababakuna dahil kailangan po nilang sumailalim sa quarantine alinsunod sa ating polisiya on COVID-19 transmission control,” she added.

(There are instances that we face shortage…The number of health workers administering the vaccine decreases because some of them would need to undergo quarantine pursuant to our policy on COVID-19 transmission control.)

This is why, Silva said, that the DOH is tapping health workers in other areas to assist communities that are facing a shortage of polio vaccinators.

Silva also said that some local government units (LGUs) are wary of letting their health workers go outside and administer the polio vaccine in fear of possible transmission of the virus.

However, she stressed that the polio vaccination program should be done simultaneously.

She assured that the DOH has given proper orientation to health workers for COVID-19 prevention and control.

“We have also oriented them on strategies para maiswasan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19. Hindi lang po hangad ang mataas na coverage, kailangan po kasi lahat ang komunidad ay mabakunahan kontra-polio,” she said.

(We have also oriented them on strategies so that the spread of COVID-19 can be prevented. The DOH not only targets a wide coverage but we also seek to conduct a synchronized program.)

“We have to protect them all at the same time,” she added.

According to Silva, the DOH also allows LGUs to tap volunteers but only for administering the oral polio vaccine.

“We reviewed our policy at kinakailangan po na ang pagbabakuna ay ginagawa ng isang trained na personnel or trained na health workers. However, in our policy, it is also stated that for oral polio vaccine, we can tap volunteers, we can give them an orientation, and then we will allow them, kasi po yung ating oral vaccine ay binibigay po siya sa pamamagitan ng pagpatak sa bibig,” she explained.

(We reviewed our policy and the administering of vaccines needs to be done by trained personnel or trained health workers. However, in our policy, it is also stated that for the oral polio vaccine, we can tap volunteers, we can give them an orientation, and then we will allow them because our oral vaccine is given by dropping the mixture into the mouth.)

“So we allow our local government units and regional offices to tap volunteers to provide oral polio vaccination,” she added.

From August in 2019 until January of this year, Silva said the DOH has conducted several rounds of outbreak response immunization to address vaccine-derived poliovirus in the National Capital Region and all regions in Mindanao.

“We have conducted a successful campaign,” she said.

Meanwhile, for the DOH’s Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio, she said the conduct of the program scheduled for February 2020 was postponed to a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“But we still conducted surveillance for polio transmission and after several assessments of the COVID-19 situation as well as vaccine-preventable disease risk, we decided to resume the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio,” she said.

The DOH official said that some were regions which “did well” in the polio vaccine drive in the first semester of 2020 while some faced challenges due to the pandemic.

“There are regions who are doing very good despite the COVID-19 situation,” she said, mentioning Regions 1, 2, 3, 5 the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the Davao region.

“The NCR as well as Region 4-A are not performing very well. They have made mention that because of the COVID-19 situation, their areas being the epicenter of [COVID-19], is really hindering their performance or their giving routine immunization services,” she added.

Earlier in the online forum, Silva said a total of 25 polio infections have been detected in the Philippines since an outbreak of the debilitating disease was declared in September 2019.

The crippling and at times fatal infectious disease re-emerged in the Philippines 19 years after health authorities reported one polio case in Lanao del Sur last year. The World Health Organization declared the country polio-free in 2000.

The return of polio has prompted the DOH to augment its polio immunization program.

/MUF