DOH targets 700K Soccsksargen learners in immunization drive

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) is seeking to cover over 700,000 schoolchildren for the school-based immunization program this year.

Dr. Aristides Tan, DOH-12 director, said Thursday the immunization activities are currently ongoing in various public schools in Soccsksargen in partnership with the Department of Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government and local government units.

Tan said the vaccination teams spearheaded by personnel of rural health units started the coordination with local schools as early as the first week of July. She said the actual immunization started on the third week of July and will end in September.

The agency led the launching of the annual activity on Tuesday at the Fatima Central Elementary School in Barangay Fatima here, with the theme “Back to BackUNA: Una sa Lahat, Bakuna.”

Under the program, learners from kindergarten to Grade 7 will receive vaccines for measles-rubella while those in Grades 1 and 7 will get booster shots of tetanus-diphtheria.

Female learners in Grade 4 will be given shots for Human Papillomavirus or HPV or the anti–cervical cancer vaccine.

Tan said they aim to vaccinate around 525,000 learners for measles-rubella, 170,163 for tetanus-diphtheria and 10,815 for HPV.

She maintained that the school-based immunization remains the best way to provide essential booster doses to schoolchildren.

“It is important for all our children to be vaccinated and become well-protected against various diseases vaccine-preventable diseases,” he said in a briefing.

Tan clarified that only learners with consent from their parents or guardians will be given vaccines, and that they are currently conducting massive information and education campaigns in local communities regarding the immunization program.

During the school-based immunization activities, he said health personnel will conduct lectures regarding the importance and safety of immunization, especially the vaccines.

“These are proven vaccines and we have been giving them since time immemorial,” Tan added. (PNA)