274,000 Quezon City kids to receive polio vaccine

MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government plans to provide oral polio vaccines to 274,785 children below five years old before the end of the year, Mayor Joy Belmonte said yesterday.

Belmonte this week led the launch of the “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” initiative, which is implemented in line with the national immunization campaign against polio by the Department of Health (DOH).

As of yesterday, the city government said 34,570 children have been vaccinated in the first round of the campaign, which will last until Oct. 25.

The government recently launched a campaign against polio virus after the DOH discovered new cases of the disease in Lanao del Sur and Laguna, almost two decades after it was declared to have been eradicated in the Philippines.

An initial report submitted by the city health office showed that around 4,008 children from District 1 and 9,624 children in District 2 received three doses of oral polio vaccine.

Also vaccinated were 4,023 children from District 3, 4,657 from District 4, 6,701 from District 5 and 5,557 from District 6.

The city health office will conduct a second round of vaccinations from the last week of November until the first week of December.

Belmonte called on Quezon City residents to ensure the health of their children by having them vaccinated against polio. 

Makati to vaccinate 49,000 kids

The Makati City government, on the other hand, aims to vaccinate 49,000 children against polio before the month ends.

The city health department, which has given 13,811 children the oral polio vaccine since the nationwide vaccination campaign started last Monday, said it would continue with house visits to administer the vaccine to children under five years old.

The city’s barangay health centers would also accept parents who want their children vaccinated, it added.