The Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) has urged the city government here to step up efforts to prevent measles-rubella and polio outbreak after registering a low immunization rate among children under a year old in the previous year.
DOH-6 Regional Director Adriano Suba-an issued the call during the regional launching of the Measles-Rubella (MR) and bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) Supplemental Immunization Activity (SIA) at the Bacolod Government Center grounds on Friday.
Set from May 1 to 31, the “Chikiting Ligtas Sa Dagdag Bakuna Kontra Polio, Rubella at Tigdas” campaign seeks to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the continuous rise of measles in the country.
Citing records, Suba-an said that Western Visayas’ fully immunized child (FIC) accomplishment in 2022 was only at 59.52 percent, way below the 95 percent to establish herd immunity.
“Kinakabahan po tayo dyan (We are getting nervous about it). Kasi mababa po ang FIC natin (because we have a low FIC), there would be a great possibility of an outbreak. That’s the new threat here in Bacolod City,” he added.
He noted that in this city, the FIC accomplishment is only at 42 percent.
“If there would be a measles outbreak, it could happen here in Bacolod City,” the DOH-6 chief said.
Suba-an said at the start of the year, Bacolod City already had a confirmed rubella or German measles case while Iloilo City also has a confirmed measles case.
“These are the highly-urbanized cities of Western Visayas, which have highly-populated areas with houses very close to each other. If there is a measles case, the transmission would be fast,” he added.
In Bacolod, data showed that 50,081 children aged 9 to 59 months are targeted for MR doses, while 58,394, who are 0 to 59, months for bOPVs.
“Let’s not allow an outbreak to happen in Bacolod City. The virus is already here. That’s why we have to stop the transmission,” Suba-an said, adding that the DOH-6 is committed to helping the city government prevent the spread of these viral diseases among children through logistics and technical assistance.
In a statement, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez encouraged parents and guardians to support the month-long SIA in May.
“Bring your kids from 0 to 59 months. The vaccines are free,” he added. (PNA)
