MALACAÑANG today urged Filipinos 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 on Tuesday 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 to about 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.
This campaign 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. (PCOO)