THE Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas is targeting to immunize 443,926 children in the region with the measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria (MR-Td) as part of its catch-up immunization, which was held back by the rise of Covid-19 cases.
Dr. Joan Antonette Albito, medical coordinator of the DOH 7’s National Immunization Program, said the catch-up immunization is set to start in the third week of October 2021. They hope to finish in 81 days.
For Region 7, Albito said they will immunize a total of 131,140 fully immunized children (FIC) and 312,786 kids for the community-based immunization (CBI).
The CBI is for all six to seven-year-old children and all 12 to 13-year-old children.
Vaccines to be given include measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria.
Albito said vaccine hesitancy is one of their biggest challenges not just with the routine immunization and the community-based immunization but also in the Covid-19 vaccination. Another challenge is the small number of healthcare workers that will handle the immunization.
“This is the reason we are trying to implement the schedule being proposed by the central office, where Wednesdays are dedicated exclusively to child vaccination. So all healthcare workers involved in the vaccination will help on Wednesdays,” she said during a media forum on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
The DOH-employed nurses, Albito said, will handle the child vaccination while the rest of the healthcare workers will attend to the Covid-19 vaccination. (JOB)