DOH: Typhoon might derail anti-polio drive

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Kammuri might hamper the Department of Health (DOH)’s anti-polio vaccination drive in Metro Manila and Mindanao, an official said yesterday.

The DOH was able to cover only 90,000 children in Metro Manila for the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio, which started on Nov. 25.

The target is to vaccinate 95 percent of 1.2 million children aged five and below in the metropolis to achieve herd immunity wherein even those not vaccinated against polio will be protected from the disease, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

“The problem is if the weather doesn’t get better, you’ll have rain next week. So we are rushing to get as much as we can while the weather is still cooperative. Pag sumungit ang panahon, mahihirapan tayo (When the weather turns foul, we will have difficulties),” he noted in a press conference at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City.

Weather forecasters have projected that Kammuri, which will be named Tisoy, will enter the Philippine area of responsibility this weekend.

Duque also commended 82 private hospitals that have been implementing the DOH’s vaccination program, with SLMC having vaccinated the most number of children, and “supporting efforts to stop the spread of polio in the country.”

“The DOH cannot do this alone so partnership with the private sector is very important... It has been the smartest thing to do for the DOH – to nurture its partnership and enhance even more partnerships with well-meaning enitities in the private sector,” he said.

Duque reiterated his calls for parents to have their children aged zero to 59 months to be vaccinated against polio.

On Nov. 27, the DOH reported that the polio virus was detected in 26 of 142 samples taken from bodies of water and sewage plants. Twenty-five of the samples that tested positive were from the National Capital Region.