DOH to launch synchronized polio vaccination

MANILA, Philippines — Starting October, the Department of Health (DOH) will conduct synchronized polio vaccination in Metro Manila to ensure that the country remains polio-free.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said yesterday they would intensify surveillance to detect possible polio cases.

Duque said the Philippines has been declared polio-free since 2000, but remains at high risk for virus transmission based on the 2018 report of the National Certification Committee for Polio.

He said the vaccine coverage for the third dose of polio was only 66 percent in 2018, way below the 95 percent required by the World Health Organization to ensure that the whole population is protected against the disease.

Polio is a fatal, disabling disease that can be transmitted through the fecal-oral route. There is no cure for the disease and complete vaccination is the best way to prevent it.

 The DOH conducted polio vaccination for children under five years from Aug. 19 to 31 in the city of Manila.

Duque said the polio immunization campaign would be expanded to all cities in the National Capital Region next month.

Children will be given oral polio vaccines for free.

The DOH said children below one year should complete three doses of oral polio vaccine and one dose of inactivated vaccine.