OPAV, DOH-7 Launch Measles Vaccination Info Drive

To counter the misconceptions about vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH)-7 here in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) launched an information caravan on measles and mass vaccination at Barangay Duljo-Fatima, here.

The caravan dubbed “Pabakuna Ta Alang sa Luwas ug Himsog nga Panglawas Ta” aims to increase the vaccination rate in the region after records from DOH-7 show that only 300,000 of the total 800,000 children in Central Visayas aged 6-59 months have been vaccinated, or 47 percent of their total target.

This despite DOH’s Outbreak Response Immunization Program implemented last year.

DOH-7 Nurse III Ruff Vincent Valdeviesco attributed the decline in the number of vaccinated children to misconception and fear of vaccines’ possible negative effects.

DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas, assured that the immunisation programs of the government are safe.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Sec. Michael Lloyd Dino, appealed to parents to have their children vaccinated to avoid complications.

Reggie Pasa, barangay health worker of Duljo-Fatima, vaccinates a toddler carried by his mother. (PIA/Cebu City)

“Makalikay ‘ta sa disgrasya kung magpabakuna (We can avoid complications if we get vaccinated)”, said Dino.

DOH Sec. Francisco Duque III placed the whole country under measles outbreak on Feb. 14, 2019 in view of the reported 4,300 confirmed measles cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 13, 2019.

Severe complications caused by measles have also claimed 70 lives.

Central Visayas is one of the first regions placed under the outbreak, together with Regions 3, 4A, 4B, 6, 8, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Vaccine preventable diseases, ideally, should not have outbreaks,” said Bernadas.

In Region 7, a total of 145 measles cases have been recorded compared to last year’s six cases, or a 2370% increase. (Jan Karla Madrio/PIA7)