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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