DOH 7 to target nine-year-olds in 2017 drive

Rep. Del Mar told health secretary during House hearing to expand vaccination coverage in Cebu Vaccination, says DOH 7, will go full swing in February next year

THE Department of Health (DOH) will implement the anti-dengue vaccination on all nine-year-olds in Cebu by February 2017.

DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas said preparation, including information and education, is ongoing.

“So our target in the full implementation is February or early March,” Bernadas said.

“We have limited vaccines, so we have limited target, which is the most vulnerable age, the main age when dengue incidents are high,” Bernadas said.

He said they are focusing on nine-year-old schoolchildren so that they are coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) and local government units (LGUs).

“It’s always with the LGUs and DepEd,” Bernadas said.

Coverage

Cebu City Rep. Del Mar told Sun.Star Cebu that during their budget deliberations in the House, he urged DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial to resume anti-dengue vaccine coverage in Region 7.

Del Mar said anti-dengue vaccination was done already in three areas in the country and Region 7 was to be next when questions were raised on the vaccine.

“This is why the vac- cination was suspended and the DOH verified and researched. Now that all issues were settled, it is time to resume it,” Del Mar said.

Ready

Ubial, who graced the inauguration of the cardio catherization laboratory and neurosurgical ward at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), agreed to resume the antidengue vaccination.

Dr. Wyben Briones, chief of the VSMMC neurosurgical ward, said the people must be thankful to Del Mar for making a way for the anti-dengue vaccination resumption.

“It’s important that the source of dengue infection can be eradicated through vaccination,” Briones said.

Briones, a past assistant district governor of Rotary International (RI) District 3860, was the one who spearheaded the antidengue campaign through larvicide or putting larvicide in stagnant waters to kill the larvae to prevent it from becoming a denguecarrying mosquito.

Briones said that because the anti-dengue vaccine is only for nine-yearolds, younger children need protection so that they will continue the larvicide campaign.

“In other words, it is still a cooperative effort to prevent dengue,” Briones said.