DOH holds dengue vaccine orientation

The Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas has started orienting local government units (LGUs) in Cebu since last week about the free dengue vaccination program.

The dengue vaccination will be provided to children, ages 9 to 14, for free regardless of whether they are in school or out of school youths, as long as they are in the master list.

The program is community-based, which means that the city health offices and rural health centers will take charge of the vaccination for children. Health centers will have to come up with the list of beneficiaries.

Dr. Hayce Famor-Ramos of the DOH 7 said that LGUs are using different strategies for enlistment, though, some have been going door to door per barangay.

The vaccine is not a 100 percent guarantee against mosquito bites, but it does lower the chances of the child catching severe dengue fever. The vaccine has 65 percent effectivity rate in protection against the four strains of dengue.

This will be administered in three doses with an interval of one dose every six months.

Each dose will be 0.5-ml of vaccine injected into the left arm, and is an essential step of the vaccination.

The health agency said that missing a dose will lessen the effects of the vaccine. The vaccine reportedly cost about P3,500 to P4,000 in private clinics.

Ramos said that the vaccine supply is enough for the target population–470,000 for Cebu Province, 93,652 for Cebu City, 41,427 for Lapu-Lapu City, and 36,812 for Mandaue City.

Lapu-Lapu City started vaccinations on June 9, while Mandaue City started on June 10.

Cebu City and Cebu Province are still set to conduct the vaccination program. Parents in these locations are advised to go to the nearest health center to register their children in the program. /