The Davao City Health Office (CHO) has called on all parents to bring their children ages 5 and below in all health centers for the Oral Polio Vaccine 2 (OPV) as the 4th Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio ends on Sunday, March 1.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, the head of the CHO, said her office recorded 91 percent of the vaccination coverage in the current round that is lower compared to the first (97), second (104), and third (108.87) rounds.
CHO targeted to immunize 186,864 children in each round of the vaccination drive. On the 4th round which started on February 17, CHO already covered 180,767 children or 96.74 percent of the target.
CHO teams were able to immunize 99.48 percent of the target number of children in the first round; 105.11 percent in the second round; and, 108.87 percent in the third round.
Meanwhile, Villafuerte announced the start of the fifth and final round of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio on March 23. The final round will run until April 5 in all barangays and designated Patak centers.
The Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio is the synchronized anti-polio immunization program of the government implemented by the government following reports of the resurgence of poliomyelitis cases in Davao City in August 2019 and Lanao del Sur in September 2019.
The cases prompted the government to declare an outbreak 19 years after the eradication of the type 2 poliovirus.
The government extended two more rounds following a reported Type 1 polio case in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). CIO
