Muntinlupa to immunize 33,970 children vs measles

The Muntinlupa City government is targeting around 33,970 children as beneficiaries of the anti-measles program it recently launched.

The program, which forms part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) “Knock-Out Tigdas Campaign,” aims to immunize children aged nine months to four years against measles.

Dr. Edilinda Garcia-Patac, head of the Muntinlupa City Health Office, said that apart from children who are set to receive measles shots, they will also be targeting 52,266 children aged one year to six years old, for deworming.

“Together with one year to six years old and 2,614 babies aged nine months to 11 months, the said children will also be subjected to Vitamin A supplementation,” she added.

Mayor Aldrin San Pedro said they want “to have a 100-percent coverage of all children in Muntinlupa.”

He said the city government has started an information campaign advising families to have their babies and children immunized or dewormed.

According to the DOH, multiple measles outbreaks have been reported in different areas of the country. Today, there are an estimated 2.5 million children in the country susceptible to the disease.

“Without decisive action, this may result in a nationwide outbreak of a magnitude the country has never seen,” the DOH said in a statement.   – Rhodina Villanueva