With a target of 269,754 legible children in Davao City, the Department of Health vowed not to miss a single child in its month-long free measles-rubella vaccination for measles and Measles Rubella Supplemental (German measles).
Bearing the slogan, “Iligtas sa Tigdas ang Pinas” — this door-to-door immunization started simultaneously nationwide last April 4. Over 18 million Filipino children will benefit from the campaign.
Dr. Marjorie D. Culas, assistant city health officer for operations, said earlier that this massive immunization is in line with the government’s goal to become a certified measles free country. Hence, missing a child whose age may range from nine months to eight years, is a big NO.
To ensure that the vaccinator teams do not skip a house, a sticker will be posted on the door of every household visited, whether or not it has a child. If a child lives only aboard a kariton (wooden cart), the vaccinating team will place the marking on the cart.
Each vaccinating team is composed of three members, Culas said, and the city needs almost 200 teams to reach the target by May 4. Earlier, Culas said that the city health office (CHO) needed 600 volunteers, especially jobless nurses.
“Kulang gyud (human resource) sa CHO,” she said. The CHO also tapped the academe, hospitals, and other government agencies that have nurses.
New virus strain
Despite the regular routine of vaccination given to children, the DOH has been alarmed to note that children were still being infected by the measles virus, including German measles. Of the 9,000 measles-suspects in the Philippines, 2,139 were confirmed to have measles. In Davao City, there were 38 cases of measles and 63 with German measles.
Measles, according to a study in Japan (2004), “is an acute, highly contagious viral disease that affects mainly children and is characterized by fever, coryza, conjunctivitis, cough, and a specific enanthem followed by a generalized macropapular eruption.”
Recently, a new type of measles virus—Genotype D9 strain, was discovered in blood test results of patients with measles, Culas said. This type of virus will not be defeated by the regular routine of vaccination given children aged up to 12 months. But the measles-rubella vaccination of the DOH will prevent both measles and German measles which may be carried by the genotype D9 virus strain.
Culas said all children will be vaccinated, even those who already received their regular routine last month. Expectant mothers with three months pregnancy are also prone to German measles, she added, and, once infected, their babies may be become deaf-mutes and have congenital heart disease, among other effects.
