DOH allocates P11.4 M for measles vaccination
The Department of Health allocated P11.4 million for the measles vaccination of 620,000 children in Western Visayas dubbed as Knock Out Tigdas 2007 campaign. Of the 620,000 target children, 208,486 are from Iloilo.
DOH-Regional EPI Coordinator Dr. Renilyn Reyes said the health department has apportioned P11.4 million for the measles vaccination campaign for the entire region. The P11.4 million was taken from the P201,800,000 contributions from the health department (P107 million), Latter Day Saints (P45 million), United Nations Foundation (P45 million) and World Health Organization (WHO) (P4.8 million). While, the UNICEF has donated printing materials for the campaign and CWC and Plan Philippines spent for the orientations.
Apart from the measles vaccination, the health department will likewise give Vitamin A and deworming drugs to children. The Vitamin A will be given to children aging from six months to six years old while the deworming drugs is for children aging from 12 months to six years old. The campaign will start October 15 and will end on November 15.
The health department estimated that each child will have a budget of 40-50 pesos. When initiated by private physician, a measles vaccine cost P800.
Reyes stressed the measles vaccination is for free as well as the Vitamin A and the deworming drugs. In Iloilo City, the target of the measles vaccination are the 40,785 kids while for Iloilo province, the target is 167,701 children aging nine months to four years old. The health department will employ several strategies to include door-to-door immunization to achieve 95 percent of its target.
City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. have already signified their willingness to support the campaign. As proof, the city government allocated P15,000 as additional support to the program. While, the provincial government allocated P20,000 financial support.
Both, the mayor and the governor, will also ask each of their respective legislative counterparts to pass a resolution supporting the DOH campaign. The same campaign aims to eliminate measles cases not only in Iloilo but in the entire country. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already issued an executive order for all the local government units to support the campaign.