PREVENTION. The Department of Health campaign material to fight pertussis.(Photo courtesy of DOH)
DAVAO CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) is laying the groundwork for a periodic intensification of routine immunization for pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases in the last week of April, an official said Monday.
In an interview, CHO technical division head Julinda Acosta said the move would cover 0-23-month-old who were late on their vaccine doses and those who are due for immunization.
Immunization not only includes Pentavalent but also other vaccines given during the routine immunization program of the CHO, she added.
The program is also conducted to increase the number of fully immunized children based on the Department of Health's indicators.
As of April 4, the city recorded two confirmed cases of pertussis, a four-month-old, and a three-month-old, which prompted the immunization drive.
"The first case recorded did not receive the vaccine, and the second case only received the first dose of Pentavalent," Acosta said, adding that families of confirmed positive cases were given prophylaxis medicine to prevent them from contracting and spreading the disease.
Pertussis is a medical condition caused by bacteria. Its symptoms include two weeks of cough with outbreaks, with some patients experiencing vomiting during coughing spells.
Data from the CHO revealed that in 2023, only 80.2 percent availed themselves of the third dose of Pentavalent, a pertussis bacteria-containing vaccine.
As of February this year, data also revealed there were defaulters for the second and third doses of Pentavalent.
Pentavalent can be availed of by children as early as six weeks old.
Acosta said the reasons for default include the family's being highly mobile, vaccine hesitancy, and religious reasons, among others.
She urged parents to take advantage of the free vaccines provided by the government to curb diseases that could be harmful to small children.
"We have been using the vaccines for 40 years, which are proven safe and effective," Acosta said. (PNA)
