Over 387,000 Young Children Immunized Against Polio in Western Visayas

WESTERN VISAYAS — From March to July, the regional health office reported that a total of 387,557 children under the age of five in Western Visayas received vaccinations against polio.

According to Philippines News Agency, the vaccination campaign targeted children from birth to 59 months across Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo. The program was divided into two age groups, with 252,524 children aged 24 to 59 months and 135,033 children from zero to 23 months receiving the bivalent oral polio vaccine as part of an intensive catch-up and supplemental immunization initiative.

Suba-an emphasized the critical role of vaccines in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), which can spread from one person to another, particularly affecting children under five, the group most vulnerable to polio. This infectious virus can cause severe, life-altering, and sometimes fatal conditions. To combat this, the DOH-6 has implemented several strategies, including risk communication and community engagement training for health education officers and barangay health workers to enhance social mobilization.

Furthermore, the DOH-6 has trained officers on social behavioral change concerning immunization to tackle specific behaviors that might prevent parents and caregivers from utilizing vaccination services. With the full return to in-person classes, there is heightened concern over the spread of VPDs among school learners. In response, the DOH plans to issue technical directions for a school-based immunization program later this year.

Suba-an also noted that the central office is planning a significant catch-up immunization campaign to address the low coverage that has led to small and large-scale outbreaks of measles and pertussis.