Local government units (LGU) in coordination with Department of Health (DOH) started on Monday a monthlong polio, rubella and measles inoculation drive in the province as part of the government’s nationwide supplemental vaccination program against the diseases.

Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Yul Lopez said that the mass vaccination will be conducted in each of the province’s municipalities until February 28, 2021.

Lopez urged parents to avail of the free service and have their children vaccinated against the diseases which do not have cures and may lead to complications.

Polio in particular is a debilitating and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus which can affect the spinal cord and cause lifelong paralysis.

“Kining tipdas ug polio wa ni siya tambal g’yud. Kung ang bata maigo sa polio wa nay tambal na makapahiuli pa niya. There is no treatment mo na ang bugtong paagi sa pag depensa, ang pagpangga sa atong mga kabataan pinaagi sa pagpamakuna,” Lopez said.

Children aged nine months to five years old will be given a measles-rubella vaccine while those aged below five will also be administered with the polio jab.

According to Lopez, the country’s supplemental vaccination campaign was hampered last year due to quarantine measures implemented due to COVID-19.

There was a significant slowdown in the vaccination efforts due to movement restrictions leaving a large number of children unvaccinated against the diseases.

“Tungod aning pandemya, sa atong mga lockdown ug pagdili sa paglihok-lihol medyo mikunhod usab ang atong vaccination efforts sa atong nasud,” he said.

The health official assured parents that the vaccinations are safe noting that the government has been offering the free inoculation for several decades already.

“Atong wad-on ang kahiwanga sa vaccination because sa akong giingon na sa niaging 40 ka tuig gasige na man og pamakuna ang atong gobyerno para sa mga kabataan nato,” he said. (A. Doydora)