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No child left behind in DOH vaccination

Thirteen million children.

That's the target of the Department of Health (DOH) campaign this September to provide free vaccinations to 95 percent of all children under five years old against measles, rubella and polio.

The three-in-one vaccination consists of one relatively painless injection against measles and rubella and an oral drop against polio.

The aim of the Ligtas sa Tigdas campaign is to interrupt transmission regardless of previous immunizations against these diseases, said Dulce Elfa, Nurse Coordinator for the DOH Expanded Program on Immunization, DOH Family Health Office.

No children should be missed for this campaign, she said, adding that indelible ink will be placed in the little fingers of children who have been vaccinated.

There were significant number of outbreaks nationwide in 2014 particularly in Metro Manila, the Southern Tagalog provinces and Central Luzon, she said.

Measles outbreaks were observed in 2013 and in early 2014 due to variations in the coverage for the first dose measles vaccination. Some 2.7 million new births also led to the increase in the number of susceptible children.

The priorities this time are not just barangays but puroks as well, especially those which have experienced natural disasters recently, areas where outbreaks have occurred and slums that border high-risk areas with outbreaks.

Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. In 1980, before widespread vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year. It remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. Approximately 122,000 people died from measles in 2012 – mostly children under the age of five.

Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults. In pregnant women, it may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome. There is no specific treatment for rubella but the disease is preventable by vaccination.


Poliomyelitis or polio is a highly infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by contaminated water or food and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis. It is preventable through immunization. (SciPhil)

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