(File photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The City Health Office (CHO) foresees a high turnout in this year’s School-Based Immunization (SBI) program scheduled to be held starting this month until September 30 this year.
Corazon Pagotaisidro, CHO immunization program coordinator, noted Saturday that the parents are now more aware of the importance of immunization in protecting their children from diseases.
“They are aware now because of the measles outbreak. They are concerned and they are now allowing their children to be immunized,” Pagotaisidro said.
The city government has not yet lifted the declaration of measles outbreak it issued on Feb. 9, 2018.
Dr. Dulce Miravite, CHO head, earlier said that the measles outbreak declaration can only be lifted if and when there will be no single case reported in four successive weeks.
Last year, the local health office has only managed to attained 58 percent accomplishment in its SBI program due to the Dengvaxia scare.
Pagotaisidro said they aim to immunize 95 percent of the schoolchildren enrolled in public schools, consisting of 83,321 children from kindergarten to Grade 7.
Grade 1 pupils will also be vaccinated with tetanus diphtheria while Grade 4 female students aged nine to 14 will be given Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The SBI program aims to protect the children against tetanus and diphtheria, measles, rubella, and cervical cancer. (PNA)
