20K Negrense children eyed for vaccination

BACOLOD CITY – The Provincial Health OFfiCE (PHO) OF NEGrOs OCCIDENtAL Is tArGEtING tHE vACCINAtION OF At LEAst 20,000 CHILDrEN tO PrEvENt tHE sPrEAD OF PErtussIs Or wHOOPING COuGH IN tHE PrOvINCE.

The PHO said that out of the 54,000 children in Negros Occidental ages 0-59 months, about 30,000 have already been vaccinated for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT).

HOWEVER, PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFfiCER Dr. Girlie Pinongan said on May 13 that some towns and cities in Negros Occidental have no more available DPT vaccines.

Pinongan said the Department of Health in Western Visayas has yet to deliver the vaccines, resulting in the low DPT vaccination rate in the province.

She said that once the vaccines arrive, a comprehensive vaccination drive will be conducted in Negros Occidental.

The vaccines from the DoH are in addition to the 10,000 vials of vaccines that have been purchased by the provincial government, Pinongan said.

PHO data indicates that the majority of the children infected with pertussis have not been inoculated for DPT.

Negros Occidental has recorded 74 pertussis-related cases, of which 14 ARE CONfiRMED POSITIVE, 40 NEGATIVE, 20 probable and one death.

In Bacolod City, the City Health OFfiCE HAS RECORDED NINE POSITIVE CASES of pertussis.