CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some 213,703 Kapampangan children aged zero to 59 months received were administered a dose of polio vaccine recently.
The Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the provincial government of Pampanga conducted the immunization activity dubbed, “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP)” which aims to eradicate the local transmission of the virus in the country.
As of August 27, a total of 213,703 Kapampangan children were vaccinated with Monovalent Oral Poliovirus Type 2 (mOPV2).
This is equivalent to 82.6 percent of the total target coverage of 258,572 of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) for the first round of the immunization drive.
Penafrancia Yalung, provincial National Immunization Program (NIP) coordinator, said this is the response of the DOH and the provincial government led by Gov. Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda to stop the transmission of the virus after human cases were confirmed in Metro Manila and Cabanatuan City.
“We always do this every time there is an outbreak to cut the spread of the virus and protect the children at the community level,” she said.
DOH recently commended Pampanga’s contribution and accomplishment to the SPKP campaign during a simple awarding ceremony on September 23 at the Benigno Aquino Hall here.
The health department also lauded the efforts of Kapampangan medical workers who conducted house-to-house vaccination with DOH amid the risk associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Walang magagawa ang DOH without the help of the provincial health office especially our local government units, kasi sila po yung implementor. Sila po talaga ung gumagalaw sa baba,” said Rolelai Capulong, a representative from DOH 3.
The second round of the SPKP program started on September 14 to further strengthen the health of the children against the polio virus. Another immunization round is expected in the succeeding weeks, Yalung said.