DOH launches school based health services

THE Department of Health (DOH) in Benguet is urging the parents to avail the free immunization program for their children in public schools.

Relative to the government’s effort to ensure prevention on the morbidity and mortality of school-aged children and adolescents due to vaccine related preventable diseases; the collaborative effort of DOH and Department of Education (DepEd) on the school based immunization program was implemented and monitored at Buyagan Elementary School.

More than 200 students underwent free vaccinations on Measles-Rebulla (MR) and Tetanus-Diphtheria (TD) at the school clinic managed by the school nurse Joan Capan with the cooperation of local health workers.

Capan said the proper screening was done before the implementation of the vaccine to avoid incidents like fainting, fear and discomfort.

“Through the consent of their parents or guardians as required in the DepEd Memorandum 128, series of 2016, the students were given with such vaccine,” Capan added.

She also said that in implementing these school-based health services, the DOH recognizes the need to intensify collaboration and integration of efforts with the DepEd and the Department of Interior and Local Government to achieve better health outcomes.

The local health workers also encouraged the parents to avail the free immunization program because it's already established for how many years and it's safe, adding that in private doctors these vaccines are so expensive.