MANILA, Philippines (PNA) -- Malacañang urged Filipinos on Tuesday to take part in the government’s drive to eradicate measles through the Department of Health’s (DOH) “Iligtas sa Tigdas ang Pinas” program. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang told a news conference in Malacañang that the program’s “targeted” families should take this opportunity as the vaccine is administered free of charge.
The DOH launched this month-long, nationwide, door-to-door measles vaccination campaign on Monday to vaccinate about 18 million children between nine months and eight years of age.
The campaign aims to reduce the number of children at risk of getting measles or being susceptible to measles that have built up since 2008 and to achieve at least 95 percent measles immunization coverage of all targeted children.
It also aims to immunize children against measles-rubella, particularly those children who were missed by the routine measles immunization, and give booster doses to those who have already received measles immunization in order to reduce the number of those susceptible to the disease.
“We just want to reiterate to the families that are targeted for this: libre po at wala po kayong gagastusin dito so hayaan po ninyong pumasok ang mga health workers sa mga tahanan ninyo at ipa-bakuna ang mga anak ninyo,” Carandang said.
