DOH to go to schools for vaccination program

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Health-7 yesterday launched the school-based immunization program "Back to Bakuna" at the Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School in Cebu City.

The event was conducted in partnership with the Department of Education-7, Cebu City Health Office, Department of the Interior Local Government-7 and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV).

"Ang atong mga kabataan mao ang atong kaugmaon maong kinahanglan nato sila atimanon ug hatagan sa saktong amuma aron dili sila dali masakit ug matabangan sila nga mag malampuson sa kinabuhi," said OPAV Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales in his message during the event.

Gonzales said that this is the reason why they have the school-based immunization program to ensure that children have the right protection against diseases like measles, tetanus, among others.

Gonzales added that the DOH targeted nine million school children around the country who can avail of this school-based immunization.

"Akong balikon ang pag-awhag sa tanang ginikanan, hilabi sa mga inahan, nga magpabakuna gyud tas atong mga anak.  Atong bakuna sa sentro - safe, effective ug libre. So everyone is really encouraged to avail of this government service. Para kanatong tanan kini," Gonzales said.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, in a press statement, said that school-based immunization is a strategy for reaching older children and adolescents.

Duque said it is a platform to provide second opportunity for vaccination and an excellent platform that integrates other public health interventions like mass deworming.

The school-based immunization was piloted in 2013 in selected provinces and cities nationwide.

In August 2015, the DOH, in collaboration DepEd and DILG, successfully conducted vaccination in 38,688 public schools nationwide providing a second dose for measles and booster doses for diphtheria and tetanus.

This became a yearly activity since 2015 when August was declared school-based immunization month.

According to Duque, after the successful implementation of the Measles Outbreak Response (ORI) to the most vulnerable population (6 – 59 month old), the DOH will continue to provide this vaccine to school age children from kindergarten to grade 7 using the school based platform.

The program will also provide grade 1 and 7 learners nationwide with booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria.

The health chief stressed that only learners with parental consent will be vaccinated after a quick health assessment and evaluation of their immunization status against measles.

School-based immunization pre-implementation started June 2019 while actual vaccination using selective strategy in the country's different regions will be until September 2019. — GAN (FREEMAN)