CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Health (DOH) has targeted to vaccinate some 2 million children in Central Luzon against measles in a project dubbed “Iligtas sa Tigdas ang Pinas.”
The DOH regional office, in a press statement, said the National Immunization Campaign for Measles Rubella started last Monday.
It disclosed that vaccination teams will go on a door-to-door immunization strategy to make sure that all children will undergo rubella vaccination against measles.
This door-to-door immunization targets children ages 9 months to below 8 years old, the DOH said.
“This goal of the DOH is part of the Philippine commitment to eliminate measles by 2012 and this activity is actually a sequel to the 1998, 2004 and 2007 mass measles campaign,” it added.
The DOH urged parents, family members and guardians to submit their children for vaccination.
“Being strictly a “door-to-door” immunization strategy, vaccination teams will enter all doors of houses, condominiums, apartments, orphanages and halfway homes as well as non-conventional doors in the community to vaccinate eligible children,” the DOH said.
It also said that non-conventional doors includeded families/persons living under bridges, inside parks, cemeteries and open spaces, tents, carts, abandoned buildings, old vehicles, motorboats, under the trees, in islands on the middles of the streets and others.
It added that all business/commercial, and institutions where children may reside will also be visited by the vaccination teams.
Eligible children of mobile and roaming families with no house or no permanent house shall be identified and given immunization while all eligible children found in parks, playgrounds, streets, markets and other public places shall be directed to go home to be vaccinated, it said.
“This strategy of the vaccination teams will be able to reach the poorest of the poor, hardest –to-reach areas and the marginalized sectors,” the DOH stressed.
Aside from the measles-rubella vaccine, children ages 6 months to 59 months (below five years old) will also be given Vitamin. A.
The DOH said measles is a highly communicable disease brought about by a virus which mostly infects children.
Complication due to measles includes diarrhea, pneumonia, blindness and encephalitis, they said. But measles is also considered a highly preventable disease by way of immunization of measles vaccine starting at 9 months, they added.
“On the other hand, rubella is a common cause of rash with fever. It has few complications unless it is contracted by a pregnant woman. In pregnancy it can lead to miscarriage, still birth or an infant born with congenital rubella syndrome.”
The DOH disclosed that regular and routine immunization activities are being conducted in the different health centers and are given free of charge.
The DOH regional office, in a press statement, said the National Immunization Campaign for Measles Rubella started last Monday.
It disclosed that vaccination teams will go on a door-to-door immunization strategy to make sure that all children will undergo rubella vaccination against measles.
This door-to-door immunization targets children ages 9 months to below 8 years old, the DOH said.
“This goal of the DOH is part of the Philippine commitment to eliminate measles by 2012 and this activity is actually a sequel to the 1998, 2004 and 2007 mass measles campaign,” it added.
The DOH urged parents, family members and guardians to submit their children for vaccination.
“Being strictly a “door-to-door” immunization strategy, vaccination teams will enter all doors of houses, condominiums, apartments, orphanages and halfway homes as well as non-conventional doors in the community to vaccinate eligible children,” the DOH said.
It also said that non-conventional doors includeded families/persons living under bridges, inside parks, cemeteries and open spaces, tents, carts, abandoned buildings, old vehicles, motorboats, under the trees, in islands on the middles of the streets and others.
It added that all business/commercial, and institutions where children may reside will also be visited by the vaccination teams.
Eligible children of mobile and roaming families with no house or no permanent house shall be identified and given immunization while all eligible children found in parks, playgrounds, streets, markets and other public places shall be directed to go home to be vaccinated, it said.
“This strategy of the vaccination teams will be able to reach the poorest of the poor, hardest –to-reach areas and the marginalized sectors,” the DOH stressed.
Aside from the measles-rubella vaccine, children ages 6 months to 59 months (below five years old) will also be given Vitamin. A.
The DOH said measles is a highly communicable disease brought about by a virus which mostly infects children.
Complication due to measles includes diarrhea, pneumonia, blindness and encephalitis, they said. But measles is also considered a highly preventable disease by way of immunization of measles vaccine starting at 9 months, they added.
“On the other hand, rubella is a common cause of rash with fever. It has few complications unless it is contracted by a pregnant woman. In pregnancy it can lead to miscarriage, still birth or an infant born with congenital rubella syndrome.”
The DOH disclosed that regular and routine immunization activities are being conducted in the different health centers and are given free of charge.
