Govt to conduct mass polio vaccination
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 17:00:27 +0000
The government will conduct mass polio immunization in Metro Manila from January 27 to February 7, the Department of Health (DoH) announced on Friday after it confirmed four more cases of polio since its outbreak was announced in September last year.
In an interview at the sidelines of the “Duterte Legacy” campaign in Pasay City, Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the mass vaccination would focus on the poliovirus type 2, which saw a resurgence in Quezon City.
“Iku-cover natin sila for another round of immunization, ‘Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio,’ in particular for type 2 (We will cover them for another round of mass polio immunization, particularly type 2),” Duque told reporters.
“Meron naman tayo (We have enough supply of this vaccine). We’re going to this on January 27 to February 7 in NCR (National Capital Region or Metro Manila). Tuloy-tuloy tayo dahil what we need to do is to cover 95 percent,” he added.
Duque acknowledged that despite the immunization, there were still cases recorded as they were not covered for the poliovirus type 2.
“The WHO (World Health Organization) recommended that the type 2 was no longer part of the circulating wild polio virus, so hininto na ‘yun. But tingin ko dapat hindi. Dapat ibalik talaga ‘yun. So, ngayon, ibinabalik,” he said.
The poliovirus type 2, eradicated in 2015, is a vaccine-derived virus that spreads from person to person, which can only happen in places with limited immunization coverage and inadequate sanitation and hygiene, according to the WHO.
On Thursday, the DoH confirmed Metro Manila’s first case of polio over two months after successful rounds of catch-up vaccination in the NCR and Mindanao. At present, there are a total of 16 recorded cases of polio in the country.
Duque confirmed that Metro Manila’s first case was of a three-year-old boy from Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
“And according to the RITM (Research Institute of Tropical Medicine), this is positive for circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2. And confirmed by the National Institute for Infectious Disease of Japan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Duque appealed to hospitals to report to the Health department cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a manifestation of polio, since it is a public health concern.
“I take this opportunity to remind all the hospitals to report any signs or symptoms of acute flaccid paralysis. ‘Yung panghihina. Panghihina ng mga kamay, binti, paglulumpo. Dapat ‘yan nire-report ‘yan,” Duque said.
“Otherwise, they can be held liable under the Disease Notifiable Act of Public Health Concern and be made to account for their failure to notify,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Quezon City government said it would intensify its surveillance campaign in Batasan Hills.
Mayor Josefina Belmonte instructed the Quezon City Health Department (QCHD), headed by Dr. Esperanza Arias, to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the case of the three-year-old boy from the area would remain an isolated case.
Based on initial investigation by the QCHD, the child received five doses of vaccine against polio. The first three vaccines were administered while the child was still an infant and the other two during the DoH’s “Sabayang Pagpatak” campaign last year.
“The local government did not neglect its responsibility on vaccination, to guard and report if there is a possible case of polio,” Belmonte said.
Arias said the city government would hold another round of vaccination drive against polio as soon as the needed supply from the Health department arrives.
WITH FRANZ LEWIN EMBUDO