Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) is pushing for a healthier Negros Island Region (NIR) as the measles-rubella supplemental immunization activity (MR-SIA) for 437,586 children, aged 6 to 59 months, across the region kicked off Monday. DOH-NIR Director Razel Nikka Hao joined City Health Officer Ma. Carmela Gensoli and Mayor Greg Gasataya during the 'Ligtas Tigdas' regional launch at the Mansilingan Activity Center here.
According to Philippines News Agency, Hao emphasized the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach for a successful campaign against measles-rubella. She highlighted the importance of building a healthier Negros Island Region where children are protected before they become sick, and where prevention reaches families before disease does. The collaboration between national government, local government, and communities is crucial when health is at risk.
The DOH-NIR, which covers Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and Bacolod City, is urging parents and caregivers to have their children vaccinated for free. This initiative aims to protect children from measles and rubella and includes Vitamin A supplementation from August 10 to 28. Hao mentioned that during the two-week supplemental immunization activity, the DOH will assist local government units in their efforts.
Hao stated that DOH teams will be on the ground to monitor, advise, and solve problems as they arise. The DOH-NIR chief stressed the need to reach out to children rather than waiting for them to come to health centers, emphasizing the goal of vaccinating 437,586 children in the region.
In Bacolod City, the City Health Office (CHO) aims for at least 95 percent coverage, targeting 48,839 children aged 6 to 59 months. The CHO has coordinated with barangay health centers and deployed 74 dedicated vaccination teams composed of city nurses and midwives to carry out the supplemental immunization activity.
The CHO's National Immunization Program coordinator, Paulyne Sustento, assured parents and guardians of the vaccines' established safety record, stating that these vaccines have been tested and proven safe across different generations since the 1970s. Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family, while rubella is a contagious viral infection affecting children and young adults. Vitamin A supplementation is integrated into the measles-rubella vaccination to mitigate measles-related complications from Vitamin A deficiency and enhance immune response.
