Less 90% Baguio kids fully immunized
THE BAGUIO City Health Services Office (CHSO) recorded in the last five years a steady rate of below 90 percent immunization rate for children below one-year-old, and zero cases of polio.
“In the last five years, we have been having rates of below 90 percent coverage on immunization pero wala pa naman tayong naire-report na polio case in Baguio City,” CHSO chief, Dr. Rowena Galpo said.
She said the benchmark should be 95 percent to prevent any outbreaks of polio, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Galpo addedCHSO does not only monitor immunization rate for polio but the “fully immunized children”, meaning that all vaccines in which a child below one year old must be given.
Fully immunized child, according to Galpo, is one who has got three oral polio vaccines and one injectable polio vaccine, DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), two antimeasles vaccines and BCG or bacilli Calmette-Guerin to protect the child from tuberculosis.
Galpo added Baguio has been polio-free for the last nine years.
However, the CHSO has resumed the surveillance to assure that cases will be immediately acted upon. The surveillance includes reporting even if there are zero cases.
“Any disease for that matter na merong parang medyo humina ang legs, hindi maka lakad, that’s called acute flaccid paralysis, ire-report kaagad,” Galpo said.
Galpo said some ways to prevent polio is to be immunized, refrain from open defecation and to maintain a clean and sanitary toilet.
She said the poliovirus thrives in the stomach and it goes with the feces during defecation, so there is a need to assure that human feces are disposed of properly.
The city health official said Baguio has not yet attained a 100 percent toilet-complete residential facility due to the presence of mobile informal settlers.
Program (STEP) and Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) scholarship. The interventions will yield positive result among farmers enabling them to engage in livelihood activities, to augment their agricultural income and enhance their capability of sustaining their daily needs.