City of San Fernando — Health authorities and the provincial government of Pampanga joined forces in administering polio vaccines to more than 250,000 children from zero to 59 months old.
Recipients got the vaccine to protect them from polio, as the provincial government aims to eradicate the disease that infects children, especially in the slum areas of the country, said Penafrancia Yalung, head of the National Immunization Program in Pampanga.
Dubbed as “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP)” the group combed depressed areas in search for newborn infants up to five-year-old kids.
As of August 27, a total of 213,703 Kapampangan children were vaccinated with the 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.
Yalung said this is the response of the Department of Health and the provincial government led by Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda to stop the transmission of the virus after polio cases have been confirmed in Metro Manila and nearby Central Luzon areas, including 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 an 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 strengthen the health of the children against the polio virus. Another immunization round is expected in the succeeding weeks, Yalung said.