MANILA – Naabot ng Pilipinas ang halos 100% ng target nitong populasyon ng kabataan na maturukan ng bakuna laban sa mga sakit na measles at polio.
Batay sa datos ng Department of Health (DOH), aabot sa higit 8-million kabataan, na may edad 9-months hanggang 5-years old, ang nabakunahan kontra meales.
Katumbas nito ang 90.3% coverage mula sa target na higit 9.4-million na kabataan ng naturang edad.
Habang 87% o 6.50-million kabataan, na may edad 5-years old pababa ang nabigyan ng oral polio vaccines.
Mula naman ito sa target na halos 7-million na mga bata.
Nabakunahan ang mga kabataan sa ilalim ng “Chikiting Ligtas” program ng pamahalaan, na nag-umpisa noong Oktubre ng nakaraang taon.
May higit 2-million kabataan din daw nabakunahan kontra polio, sa ilalim ng “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” program, na kadugtong ng programang inilunsad noong 2019.
Kabilang sa mga kabataang naturukan sa programang nagsimula noong Hunyo ng nakaraang taon, ay mula sa Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, at Rizal.
“The Philippines is one of the few countries that still continued with its effort supplemental and immunization campaigns in the middle of the pandemic,” ani Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Health Usec. Vergeire: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children who received basic life saving routine immunization in PH last year is 61.5%. More than 30% below the national target. | @BomboRadyoNews pic.twitter.com/UVbMDHumEH
— Christian Yosores (@chrisyosores) April 26, 2021
Sa kabila nito, aminado ang DOH na may 30% populasyon ang hindi nabakunahan mula sa total target ng pamahalaan.
“Many people were reluctant to have their children’s vaccinated because of fear of being exposed to COVID-19. Many healthcare workers were also unavailable because of redeployment.”
Gayunpaman, pinuri pa rin ng World Health Organization ang Pilipinas dahil sa pagpupursige nitong ikampanya ang iba pang bakuna sa gitna ng health crisis.
“While concurrently dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the three simultaneous back-to-back typhoons that affected the country,” ani Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.
“While the world focuses on critically important new vaccines vs COVID-19, it is also critical to ensure that routine childhood immunization remains priority,” dagdag ng opisyal.
