SoCot targets 100K children for measles immunization drive

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--The health office of South Cotabato is targeting to cover around 100,000 children during the month-long massive immunization campaign for measles and rubella that will begin Wednesday, May 9.

Lodgeria Larong, national immunization program coordinator of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said Tuesday the figure represents the total number of children within the province's 10 towns and lone city, who are eligible for immunization.

She said the province's immunization teams, composed of municipal and barangay health workers, are all set for the activity, which will run until June 8.

Citing guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH), she said it will specifically cover children aged six months to under five years-old.

Larong said they have identified fixed immunization sites such as sitio and purok centers but the health teams will also conduct house-to-house or door-to-door visits.

"This is to ensure that all eligible children would be covered, especially those in remote areas," she said in a media forum.

Based on the IPHO's records, a total of 101,430 children are eligible for measles and rubella immunization in all 199 barangays in the province.

The number comprise children who were not covered by the catchup measles immunization activities in the previous weeks, which were in response to the disease outbreaks in some parts of the province.

The IPHO's epidemiology and surveillance unit (Pesu) recorded a total of 157 suspected measles cases and two deaths from January 1 to May 4.

Cella Lorenzo, Pesu head, said 134 of these involved children who had no history of measles immunization. She added that the province's suspected measles cases reached the epidemic threshold or outbreak level for five weeks from February to April. (PNA)