BONTOC – The Department of Health (DOH) – Provincial Office, in its effort to eliminate the emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases, is now pushing for a school-based adolescent vaccination program for public and private high school students in the province.
The adolescent Immunization is a nationwide program of the DOH that adopts the theme, “Malusog na Kabataan, Kabalikat at Pag-asa para sa Kaunlaran: Magpapabakuna”.
This plan was relayed by Dr. Natividad Oprecio to the members of the Provincial Health Board during their meeting in June 17, 2014 here.
According to Oprecio, health teams from DOH will proceed to classrooms to conduct Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) and Tetanus diphtheria (Td) immunization to children aging 13 years old on August 2014.
This is in line with the country’s 2007 commitment to eliminate vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and diphtheria, which the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center identified as also common to adolescents nowadays.
Oprecio explained that the MMR vaccine is a three-in-one needle that protects us against measles, mumps and rubella. It is also stated in health reading materials that protection from measles, mumps and rubella after getting the vaccine is probably life-long. Vaccination also makes these diseases milder for those who may catch them.
In addition, the Td vaccine is the best protection against tetanus and diphtheria, which are serious and sometimes fatal diseases.
Also, DOH- Provincial Office is expected to conduct Measles Rubella Oral Polio Vaccine Mass Immunization (MR OPV MI) on September 1-30, 2014 to identified fixed post nationwide.
Oprecio said that the beneficiaries of the Oral Polio Vaccine Immunization are the newly born babies up to 59 months. Meanwhile, those who will avail of the Measles Rubella immunization are 9-59 months old children.
The MR OPV MI aims to interrupt transmission of measles and rubella in the country and to protect the public from the importation of wild poliovirus.
Towards this end, Oprecio encourage all the students to avail of the program and the mothers to let their children be immunized. “When they avail of the program, all together we can bring in and promote healthy environment for the people of the province”, she stressed.
