Massive drive vs polio starts

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City goverment has started a citywide polio vaccination drive for children four years old and below following findings that the Butuanon River in the city tested positive for poliovirus.

"Nagsugod na ta katong adlawa and we are ordered by the Department of Health to finish the vaccination on Monday (We started today and the Department of Health ordered us to finish by Monday)," Dr. Rosemarie Ouano-Tirado, head of the Mandaue City Health Office, said yesterday. 

She said the city has enough supply of vaccines.

"Our city health has supplies sa polio vaccines mao na nga naka-start na dayon ta sa atong vaccination. DOH will also send us their supplies so wala gyud tay problema sa polio vaccines (Our city health has supplies sa polio vaccines so we were able to start right away. DOH will also send us supplies so we really don’t have a problem when it comes to our supply of polio vaccines)," Tirado said.

She said the search for "defaulters" continues.

"Defaulters are those who were given two doses of the oral polio vaccines unya wala nibalik sa health clinics for their third dose of oral polio vaccines, as well as the injectable polio vaccines kay mao man ni nga time nga nangahadlok ang mga bata tungod atong Dengvaxia issue (Defaulters are those who have received two doses of oral polio vaccines but did not go back to the health clinics for the third dose and injectable vaccine for fear triggered by the Dengvaxia issue)," Tirado said.

Barangay health workers and officials have been tasked to identify the defaulters through house to house visits and information drive. 

While only 13 barangays are located near the Butuanon River, all 27 barangays in the city are included in the vaccination drive.

The city has declared the Butuanon River, Mahiga Creek, Tipolo Creek, and their tributaries off limits to the public.

Water Testing

In Cebu City where part of the Butuanon River also flows, Mayor Edgardo Labella directed the City Health Department (CHD) to conduct water testing of all its rivers in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) - 7.

"It's good that the Department of Health, through their regional office, will work together on it," Labella said.

The rivers that will undergo water testing include, among others Guadalupe, Kinalumsan, and Bulacao, to name a few.

Labella said earlier the city’s plan to relocate informal settlers, including those along the banks of the Butuanon River, also for their safety as riverbanks are considered danger zones.

"In case of flooding, it's very risky and hazardous for them. We will do it gradually. That's one of the plans of our administration to really relocate them from areas that are in danger zones," said Labella.

The city has also profiled residents of Barangays Pit-os, Talamban, Bacayan, and San Jose to determine who have health problems and who have received and completed polio vaccination. JMO (FREEMAN)