DAVAO CITY-–Some 171,315 of the targeted 271, 425 children in Lanao del Sur got vaccinated, reflecting 63 percent of the the total number earlier targeted by the provincial health office, the Bangsamoro Information Office reported.
Dr. Alinader D. Minalang, Provincial Health Officer in a report by the Bangsamoro Information Office that the government conducted a massive vaccination campaign to avert further cases against the deadly virus since the launch of their special campaign.
“The peak of measles cases happened in October-November 2023. This outbreak happened because of the decline of our immunization rate here in Lanao del Sur”, Minalang, stressed.
The health official said the misinformation like what happened during the Covid-19 and Dengvaxia caused the decline of their vaccination drive.
In 2023, the first case of measles was reported in Lanao del Sur, but the guideline from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH), states that a case of confirmed measles is considered an outbreak,” said Dr. Nihaya Macasindil, chief of staff of the provincial health office.
In the recent campaign, the DOH recommended a nonselective approach, prompting the IPHOs in the region to reach out to children aged from 6 months to 9 years, regardless of their vaccination status. The only exception is for those who got vaccinated within 4 weeks before the campaign began.
Although the campaign has now reached 63 percent of its target, the provincial health office still has to reach out to the remaining children from the 39 municipalities of the province.
The health officials called on the residents and other health stakeholders to support and cooperate to prevent outbreaks and protect the children from diseases through vaccination.
Health officials ensure that the vaccines are safe and passed through Halal procedures, and parents and children have nothing to worry about.
The DOH has recorded 13 deaths involving unvaccinated children and 1,300 cases reported in Lanao del Sur.
