The City Health Office (CHO) is close to achieving 100 percent of its target number of children to receive the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
As of October 23, the CHO anti-polio immunization already hit 95 percent of its target since it started on October 14. The immunization drive will continue until Sunday, October 27.
CHO technical division chief, Dr. Julinda Acosta, said that most of the areas where the CHO teams have completed immunization are in the far-flung areas.
Acosta said Paquibato has already surpassed the 100 percent immunization rate for all children 5 years and below.
Despite the high accomplishment rate, Acosta said the CHO will still target age groups in areas where the immunization rate is low.
According to her, the CHO is now focusing on the districts that have a low rate of coverage such as Buhangin, which registered only 79.5% of immunized kids.
“We still have a few days until Sunday, so our staff are currently doing sweeping right now to ensure that all children will be covered and also to convince parents, and to check on the situation of those children who were immunized,” she said.
Acosta lamented some parents are still refusing to have their children immunized.
“They have misunderstood the essence of the immunization. This is not only for the less fortunate. They need to participate because there is a poliovirus found at the Davao River,” she said.
Acosta said the CHO will also continue to educate parents and convince them that the OPV is safe and necessary. CIO
