Over 83,000 Iloilo Students to Get Vaccines

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is set to launch a month-long school-based immunization program starting October 7, aiming to vaccinate more than 83,000 children across the province.

According to IPHO head Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, the program will offer vaccines for measles-rubella (MR), tetanus-diphtheria, and the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Quiñon reported that the initiative aims to administer booster doses of MR and tetanus-diphtheria to 28,317 Grade 1 students and 37,928 Grade 7 learners.

Additionally, 17,328 Grade 4 girls will receive the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.

“These MR and tetanus-diphtheria vaccines are given as booster doses because the children already received them at one year old. The HPV vaccines are for girls aged nine to 11, as this is the age group before they are likely to be exposed to the human papillomavirus, before engaging in sexual activity,” Quiñon said in an October 3 interview.

She reassured parents about the safety protocols in place.

“We ask parents to allow and consent to their children receiving the vaccines. Our trained health workers will be there to ensure the children’s safety and well-being during the process,” she stated.

In preparation for the campaign, the IPHO, in partnership with Relief International and UNICEF, met with health officers from 43 local government units and DepEd nurses on October 2 in Iloilo City.