DepEd, DOH kick off school-based nationwide immunization

Several elementary students were vaccinated on Monday as the Department of Education and the Department of Health (DOH) launched the school-based nationwide vaccination program, “Bakuna-Eskwela,” in Manila.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa led the kick-off at the Dr. A. Albert Elementary School in Sampaloc.

The program seeks to vaccinate school-age children against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and cervical cancer in all public schools nationwide.

According to the DOH, the program seeks to immunize at least 3.8 million public school students in Grade 1 and Grade 7 with MR and Td vaccines.

The Health Department also seeks to immunize 973,930 female Grade 4 students in selected public schools with the HPV vaccine that protects against cancer.

According to the DOH, the program will be implemented until November.

Data from the agency showed that a total of 3,356 cases of measles and rubella with 11 fatalities were recorded from January 1 to September 14.

Meanwhile, the DOH also recorded 215 cases of diphtheria with 25 deaths; 81 cases of neonatal tetanus with 44 deaths; and 7,897 women with cervical cancer.

“All of these cases and deaths could have been prevented through safe and effective vaccination,” the DOH said in a statement. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News