ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Health-9 (DOH-9) has suspended the third round of the “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” in view of the lockdown imposed by the different local government units amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, DOH regional director, said Saturday the schedule's Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) from March 23 to April 4 has been suspended indefinitely.
But she said the routine immunization, which is every Wednesday, will continue at health centers.
The target population for the bOPV is 205,78 children aged zero to 10.
Monicimpo assured that the anti-polio campaign will not be scrapped but there will be delayed in its implementation.
“The children have already developed antibodies and the next doses are booster doses already,” she said.
The first round of the anti-polio campaign was held from January 6 to 12, 2020 while the second round from February 17 March 1, this year.
The DOH launched the campaign following the re-emergence of the polio disease last year in the country. (PNA)
