Pormal na ring sinimulan ng Department of Health (DOH)–Ilocos Region ang pagdaraos ng Measles Rubella and bivalent Oral Polio virus Vaccine Supplementary Immunization Activities (MR-bOPV SIA) sa Sto. Tomas, La Union nitong Biyernes.
Sa isang pahayag nitong Sabado, sinabi ni Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco na may urgent need o agarang pangangailangan para sa pagdaraos ng naturang aktibidad upang mapataas ang immunization coverage sa hanggang 95% ng mga paslit na nagkaka-edad ng 0-59 buwang gulang.
“We have to take every opportunity to increase community engagement and raise awareness on the importance of the MR-OPV SIA immunization and dispel any myths or misconceptions about the vaccine," ani Sydiongco.
“These vaccines have prevented child deaths worldwide, and we have to have to sustain the momentum created by expanded routine immunization (RI) coverage, catch-up supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), and progress towards polio elimination, in our efforts to eliminate measles in the region including the strong political commitment by our local government units towards the elimination of the disease," aniya pa.
Catanduanes, niyanig ng magnitude 6.1 na lindol
Nabatid na mula Enero 1, 2023 hanggang nitong Abril 15, 2023, nakapagtala na ang Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) ng kabuuang 44 suspected MR cases.
Ito ay 266% na mas mataas kumpaea sa 12 kaso na naitala sa kahalintulad na petsa ng nakaraang taon.
"Age of cases ranged from less than 1 year to 53 years old. The most affected age group was less than 1 year old with 17 (38.6%) cases and the majority of the cases were females aged 1-4 with 24 (54.5%) cases," ayon sa DOH-Ilocos Region.
Ang lalawigan na may pinakamaraming bilang ng suspected MR cases ay ang La Union na may 17 cases, kasunod ang Pangasinan na may 11 cases, Ilocos Sur na may siyam na kaso at Ilocos Norte na may tatlong.
Ang Dagupan City naman ay nakapagtala ng apat na kaso.
Anang DOH, target nilang makapagbakuna ng 431,162 kabataan para sa MR vaccination at 503,968 kabataan sa OPV sa Ilocos Region, sa naturang month-long immunization activity na idaraos mula Mayo 1 hanggang 30.
Ang Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine ay ipinagkakaloob sa mga kabataan na nagkaka-edad ng 9-59 months old habang ang Oral Polio vaccine (OPV) naman ay para sa mga paslit na nasa 0-59 buwang gulang naman.
