ROUND 2. Department of Health-Caraga director Jose Llacuna Jr. appeals during press conference on Friday (January 17) in Butuan City for parents to have their children vaccinated with Monovalent Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 or the MOPV2 from January 20 to February 2 this year. The second round of 'Sabayang Patak Kontra Poli' aims to end the polio outbreak in the country. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
BUTUAN CITY – After completing the first round of “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” or SPKP last year, the Department of Health in the Cagara Region (DOH-13) said it is ready to launch the second round of polio vaccination from January 20 to February 2.
In a press conference on Friday, DOH-13 director Jose Llacuna Jr. renewed his call to families and parents to have their children aged 0-59 months vaccinated.
Llacuna said the second round of vaccination will be done in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), national government agencies, and other stakeholders in the region.
Caraga achieved 94.1 percent vaccination coverage during the first round of SPKP last year.
Tandag City in Surigao del Sur topped the vaccination coverage last year garnering 100.22 percent while Butuan City achieved 97.94 percent.
The province of Agusan del Norte covered 99.23 percent of its targets during the first round of SPKP in 2019, followed by Surigao del Sur with a 95.27 percent rate, Agusan del Sur with 94.53 percent, Surigao del Norte with 90.41 percent, and the Province of Dinagat Islands with 74.73 percent.
Of the 327,105 number of children aged 0-59 months eligible for vaccination in the region, a total of 308,116 were vaccinated last year, leaving a total number of 18,989 still not vaccinated, data provided by DOH-13 said.
It also showed that of the 308,116 vaccinated last year, a total of 55,546 children aged 0-11 months and 252,570 aged 12-59 months were vaccinated in the first round of SPKP.
On the second phase of SPKP next week, Llacuna said eligible children will be given Monovalent Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 or the MOPV2.
Extended rounds for the campaign for oral polio vaccination in the region are also scheduled from February 17 to March 1 and March 23 to April 4 this year. (PNA)
