DOH 7 Extends Immunization Campaigns to Oct. 3

The Department of Health (DOH)7 on Wednesday said they will extend up to October 3, the deadline of their measles immunization and polio vaccination campaign to get exactly the 95 percent of their overall target.

As of September 25 data, DOH 7 got an overall total accomplishment of 80 percent or a total of 1.3 million children who were freely immunized against measles.

However, according to Dr. Emmelie Pflieder-Silao, Child Health Coordinator of DOH 7, they need to reach the 95 percent target which is equivalent to 1.7 million children.

But DOH Regional Director Jaime S. Bernadas, during the Kapihan sa PIA (Philippine Information Agency) and DYMR at the DOH7 regional office, explained that this does not mean that they are totally ending their campaign on October 3.

He said it is just a matter of measuring how interested are the parents in the submission of their children’s safety against measles and polio.

“After October 3, measles immunization and polio vaccination is a regular mandate of all barangay health centers in the region, so all the time parents who have children aged 5 years and below should submit them to the said health centers in their area for measles and polio protections”, Bernadas said.

He stressed that for the past 3 to 4 years, Region 7 successively failed on getting its target. That’s why it is significant to reach the 95 percent.

One reason he pointed out was the lack of proper information dissemination to parents especially those who are residing in far-flung areas.

This has resulted to the number of casualties on children 5 years and below due to measles, Bernadas said.

But according to Bernadas, education of parents on how to take proper care of their child should start even before they entered married life, and considered this as one of the most important aspect which parents should better know.

Bernadas added that parents supposedly should learn proper parenthood even before their reproduction stage.

“Which means not only because of love, they have to get married, but the most important are their plans on how to raise a good family,” he said.

He added that family planning is everything including how many children can your income capably sustain to provide food, clothing, medicine and most of all the education of your children.

“The moment you fail to think and study these matters seriously prior to your married, many factors will ruin your family, even mortality of your child or children is inevitable,” Bernadas said.

The government has plenty of programs to let Filipinos live on a better life, especially on health and education, so it is necessary that they should learn the proper information intended for them, he added.

“That is why I ask you media people to help us in bringing the positive news to the people everyday, and not just the negative ones which will deter people’s mind, from knowing how the government made much investments and programs designed to take care their children’s health and education”, the DOH7 chief said.

Bernadas said if the concerned parents are just properly oriented its importance in protecting their children’s health, and how much budget the government incurs just for this life saving medicines, the barangay health centers are always busy everyday to entertain every family’s health problem.

He also rallied support from all media reporters so that the people, especially the poorest among the poor, will learn and be educated in all aspects of government’s programs which are beneficial to them.