Door-to-door vaccination against measles in WV kicks off
The 30 days door-to-door "Knock out Tipdas" (KOT 2007) campaign has kicked off with no less than Health Regional director Lydia Depra-Ramos, leading the"bakunadoors" in visiting selected far-flung, hard-to-reach barangays in Western Visayas.
The local government units led the launching in their respective provinces, towns and cities, with caravans, media guestings and massive mobilization activities to create more awareness and participation, especially from parents whose children are eligible for the vaccination.
Health Education and promotion Officer III Leonil D. Tan said apparently the LGUs were really prepared in the implementation of the KOT 2007, in terms of organization, logistics, human resource, social mobilization and other requirements necessary for the KOT implementation.
The campaign supports the call of President Arroyo, in her Executive Order 663, for national commitment on "Bakuna ang Una sa Sanggol at Ina" to eliminate measles and neonatal tetanus, eradication of polio, control of hepatitis B and other vaccine preventable diseases, as part of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), of reducing children mortality by two-thirds by 2015.
DOH Asst. Regional Director Ariel Valencia said the campaign, which is a sequel of the Catch-Up Mass Immunization started in September 1998 and a Follow-up campaign in February 2004, is targeting children aged nine to 48 months old, regardless of immunization status, including children older than this age group who did not receive measles vaccination in the past.
Much more, Valencia said, the campaign is also geared towards reduction of the number of children at risk of getting measles or being susceptible to measles that have built up since 2004 in some areas of Regions 3, 9, NCR and the ARMM.
The door-to-door visit is a strategy used by the campaign, where in addition, Vitamin A capsules and De-worming drugs are given for free to eligible children.
Dir. Ramos, who went with the"Bakunadoors" said there are ample supplies of measles vaccines and other logistics stored in areas where the services are being offered, until November 15.
She also said the DOH and the district Hospitals are on alert status, equipped with medicines and medical personnel to attend to cases of adverse effects of the immunization. (DOH/PIA6/ESS)