BAKUNA ESKWELA – School-Based Immunization for Grade 7 students of Carmen National School. Photo by Nichol Salido
MindanaoToday.com |DOH-10 immunization hits 26% of target kids
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – More than 65,000 school-age children in Northern Mindanao are now protected against life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), the Department of Health 10 reported on Wednesday, October 16.
This figure represents roughly 26 percent of the 248,593 targeted population in the region for the revived two-month long School-Based Immunization (SBI) that kicked off last week. Led by the DOH, it is backed by the Department of Education and local government units.
SBI on measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria (MR-TD) which started in 2015 was suspended for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, just like in the past, it seeks to immunize 95% of the eligible population and prevent outbreaks of VPDs.
DOH-10’s Sharace Brigoli, a senior nurse and coordinator for the National Immunization Program (NIP) implementation, said the SBI is intended for learners enrolled in Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 7. She guested the Talakayan-Konsultayo series, a monthly health update aired online.
Dubbed as Bakuna Eskwela campaign, MR-TD vaccines are being rolled out to school-age children, and that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination would also be administered for those in Grades 4 and 7.
Brigoli said their population targets in Northern Mindanao are: 95,817 for Grade 1; 49,944 for Grade 4; and 101,832 for Grade 7. And, as of Tuesday, October 15, vaccines have already been given to 31 percent, 28 percent, and 20 percent to the three grade levels, respectively.
Germaine Labadan, a medical doctor and DOH-10 family cluster head, said private schools may coordinate with the local government’s health offices so that their learners can also avail of the free vaccines.
Labadan said an HPV vaccine could cost no less than P4,000 if availed outside the NIP, aside from the MR-TD vaccines.
Vaniza Bagolbol, also a medical doctor who heads the DOH-10’s non-communicable diseases cluster, said HPV vaccines are being given to girls as young as nine to 14 years so that they will be protected from HPV infections.
HPV infections, Bagolbol said, may eventually advance to cervical cancer which is the country’s third leading cause of deaths, behind breast and colorectal cancers. (Uriel Quilinguing/MT)
###
