DOH vaccinates over 100 children vs. polio

The Department of Health on Monday vaccinated some 100 kindergarten students in Quiapo, Manila against polio.

According to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez in GMA's 24 Oras, the children had less apprehension because the vaccine was administered through oral drops and not by injection.

The DOH targets to immunize 196,000 children under five years old in Manila against polio.

According to the World Health Organization, polio is "a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children."

The WHO added that there is still no cure for polio and that it can only be prevented by immunization.

Immunization against polio will be conducted nationwide, according to the DOH.

Meanwhile, the parents of some children who allegedly died after receiving the Dengvaxia vaccine held a protest action in front of the DOH office.

They brought a coffin that symbolizes their grief on the loss of their loved ones.

"100 percent po ang ikinamatay po ng aking anak, ng aming mga anak ay ang Dengvaxia vaccine. Torture po. Alam niyo po, ang anak ko, naliligo sa sarili niyang dugo! 'Yung anak ko po, sumabog ang kanyang utak. Lumaki lahat ng internal organs," protester Jonathan De Guzman said.

The parents were demanding Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to resign.

Duque, on the other hand, said that he would not resign from his post unless otherwise told by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"They have been doing that almost every month since last year when they started filing cases against us officials of DOH with the DOJ," Duque said.

The DOH said it is monitoring the health of all children who had been administered with the controversial Dengvaxia.

According to the DOH, dengue cases in the country reached 188,562 as of August 3, 2019. A total of 807 died due to dengue. —Dona Magsino/LDF, GMA News