Iligan, Lanao del Sur start giving jabs in catch-up campaign vs measles, polio

ILIGAN, Philippines – Health officials in Iligan City and Lanao del Sur launched a vaccination campaign on Tuesday, May 2, to protect hundreds of thousands of children against measles and polio. 

The ongoing campaign aims to catch up on the vaccination schedules for children that were slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The initiative, which is part of a nationwide campaign, came as the country saw in 2019 its first confirmed polio case since 2001 – a three-year-old girl from Lanao del Sur. But in 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the polio outbreak in the country.

The Chikiting Ligtas 2023 vaccination campaign aims to inoculate 37,458 children in Iligan City, while Lanao del Sur intends to vaccinate 146,526 qualified children against measles and Rubella, and 166,662 children with oral polio vaccine (OPV).

The Iligan City Health Office said it aims to inoculate 2,153 children daily for 22 days, five days a week. If the turnout is low, they said they would work overtime on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We are not yet done with the COVID-19 pandemic, and we cannot afford to have another outbreak if we cannot avoid this with the vaccine,” said Iligan health officer Glenn Manarpaac.

Lanao del Sur also aims to vaccinate 146,526 qualified children against measles, while 166,662 are intended to be immunized with OPV.

Dr. Alinader Minalang, the Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health officer, said that in the past years, the province logged low vaccination coverage against measles, Rubella, and polio due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. At least 15 cases of measles had been recorded.

To prevent another outbreak, Minalang said this year’s Chikiting Ligtas campaign would serve as a catch-up immunization to inoculate unvaccinated children.

The Department of Health (DOH) leads this nationwide campaign to urge parents to have their children immunized and protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur Vice Governor Mohammad Khalid Raki-in Adiong call on parents and guardians to ensure their children’s safety against measles, Rubella, and polio through the vaccination offered freely to the public.

Apart from the free MRV and OPV, immunized children are also being given Vitamin A supplements.

In the continuous conduct of this month-long campaign, the local health officials said they were confident that they could reach their targets. – Rappler.com