Makati leads in Metro polio vaccination

Makati City has the most number of children administered with the oral polio vaccine (OPV) among the 17 cities in Metro Manila, the local government unit (LGU) of Makati disclosed.

Based on data from the Department of Health (DOH), 52,978 children up to 59 months old were vaccinated between Oct. 14 and 27, or 106.76 percent of the city’s target population of 49,623.

Taguig City was next with a 105.91 percent coverage rate, followed by Quezon City with 103.93 percent.

Mayor Abigail Binay thanked the parents and guardians of children in Makati for their full cooperation in the OPV drive.

“I am happy that our Makati residents have extended their full cooperation to the city government and had their children vaccinated against the polio virus. It is a simple but truly effective way to prevent a full resurgence of polio in the country,” she said in a statement.

“Polio is no joke. It is a crippling and painful condition that we do not want our children to experience and bear for the rest of their lives. It may keep them from being happy, productive, and from leading normal lives,” she said.

The mayor stressed the importance of vaccines in preventing dreaded diseases like polio, urging parents to bring their children to heath centers.

“Our children need to receive these vaccines at specific ages or periods during their childhood for their protection,” she said.

“We have gone to great lengths to ensure that these vaccines are available at our health centers. Most of the time, our diligent Makati Health Department staff even go house-tohouse to make sure that our children are protected from these viruses. I continue to ask for your cooperation and appeal to your better judgment as parents and guardians to have your kids vaccinated – not just now because there’s a threat of polio outbreak – but all the time,” she continued.

According to the Makati City Hall, 26 health centers provide the following free vaccines to infants and children aged 0 to 59 months: Hep B (at birth); BCG (at birth); PENTA Hib (6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14th week); OPV (6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14th week); IPV (14th week); MR at 9 months; and MMR at 1 year old.

It is followed by school-based immunization of MR (Kinder to Grade 7), TD (Grade 1 to 7), and HPV at Grade 4 (9 to 14 years old).