Measles, rubella, polio 

vaccination boost in Feb 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 12 (PIA) –At this time of the pandemic, an outbreak of measles, rubella or poliomyelitis could completely swamp the country’s health care system. 

That is what we do not need, thus the government puts in Measles Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR OPV SIA) in the Region in February, says Relief International Visayas Communications Officer Lester Ouano, during a Kapihan sa PIA weeks ago. 

“Despite the fact that immunization in the country in the past years have considerably improved, the travel restrictions and community quarantines during the coronavirus pandemic has kept the country from getting high immunization accomplishment that kids may have been less protected from these viral diseases,” explains Ouano, who is also an accomplished Boholano visual artist. 

Relief International has been partnering with the Department of Health (DOH) and United Nations Institution for Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization in the immunization campaign to save and empower communities to fight against outbreaks and diseases. 

Health authorities here have been alarmed due to the resurgence of measles, rubella and the return of polio, which the DOH has detected, after years in September of 2019. 

The DOH said the return of polio could be due to the increasing number of kids who have not been inoculated from the virus, and worsened when the travel restrictions imposed during COVID times kept health workers from immunization runs. 

Health sources said 3 of every 10 kids in the country have not been given the complete anti-polio vaccine, while negative publicity against the dengue campaign has also affected the coutry’s immunization program. 

In February however, along with other regions, the MR OPV SIA hopes to get to all of Central Visayas’ kids to give them all supplemental doses of the vaccines against measles, rubella and polio, which have been proven to control the disease, Ouano stressed. 

Measles and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases that can be spread when one inhales the droplets expelled by a measles patient when he coughs, sneezes or talks. 

The disease manifests itself through colds, cough, redness in the eyes, rashes and fatigue, fever and mumps. 

When unattended, the diseases may complicate and cause blindness, encephalitis, ear infections, pneumonia, abortion or after birth complications, which may be fatal. 

On the other hand, polio is caused by a virus from a patient to another human body through food or water contamination or when one accidentally eats food contaminated with human waste. 

When inside the body, the virus can attack the spinal column, affecting muscles controlling the arm and limb movement, causing them to be paralyzed. The virus can also paralyze one’s breathing muscles, leading to difficulty in breathing to death. 

Among the virus caused diseases, health authorities said immunization is the only defense, especially among the young. 

Target for the MR supplemental immunization are kids 9 months old to five years old, while the polio vaccine, delivered through oral administration or inoculation with activated polio vaccine for kids one month and a half to 5 years old, according to Ouano. 

To this, Relief International, which has been tasked to spearhead the campaign and the SIA is now coordinating with local government officials, so that an effective, efficient and all inclusive immunization activity can cover all kids, while maintaining appropriate health and safety protocols against COVID, Ouano said. (rahchiu/PIA/Bohol) 

EVADING FROM POTENTIAL HEALTH DISASTER. Health authorities in the region are starting a supplemental immunization activity for measles, rubella (German measles) and polio this February in a bid to free the health care system from a potential swamping if any of the other diseases cause an outbreak now that coronavirus disease is already keeping health workers loaded. (PIABohol/Photo grabbed from unicef.org) 

VACCINATION POSTS AND HOME VISITS. Other than scheduled vaccination in vaccination posts, health authorities are coordinating with barangay officials to set up mechanisms on how to get to far flung communities or those who refuse to go to vaccine posts due to fear of COVID. (PIABohol/DOH)