DOH to start free measles vaccination next month

CEBU, Philippines - About 1.4 million children below eight years old in Central Visayas are expected to benefit the free anti-measles vaccine from the Department of Health.

DOH regional director Susana Madarieta said that health workers will be conducting free vaccinations starting April 1. She said the health workers will be doing house-to-house visits to give free dosage of anti-measles vaccine to children from nine months to eight years old.

The government has appropriated P600 million for the purchase of the vaccines, needles and syringes to be used for the special immunization campaign called “Iligtas sa Tigdas ang Pinas”.

“Specially trained local health workers or vaccination teams will visit houses to immunize eligible children. We urge mothers, fathers, and caregivers to open their doors to our vaccination teams and avail of this free vaccination,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona said.

According to Madarieta, the government is serious in its campaign hoping that not one child will be left without an anti-measles shot.

In a forum sponsored by the Public Information Agency, health officials yesterday explained that immunization boosts the children’s immunity against viruses.

Health officials are worried because the statistics show that number of confirmed cases of measles has significantly increased from 453 in 2007 to 1,418 in 2010. More than 70 percent of these cases, the victim did not have an anti-measles vaccine.

DOH officials however said there was no report of measles outbreak in Cebu City and other parts of the region for the past months.

During the past two years, the records show that there were 66 children died from measles, a highly contagious disease that can be easily prevented through vaccination. 

The vaccines that will be given during the campaign provide combined protection against measles and German measles. World Health Organization (WHO) said combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine is safe, effective and inexpensive.

It will only cost P67 to protect a child from measles, but treating a child with measles and its complications may cost a family between P500 to 15,000.— (FREEMAN)