About 2,000 health workers composed of nurses, midwives and barangay health workers in the province will troop to urban barangays and the countryside province-wide on January 20 (Monday) to start the Round 3 of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP) Mass Synchronized Oral Polio Vaccination (mOPV).
Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr. stressed during the Micro-planning on mOPV last week conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) 12 that what is important during the SPKP Round 3 is, “walang bata ang dapat na maiwan” (no child shall be left behind) during the 2-week long vaccination activity.
South Cotabato registered 93.79% out of the 95% target but hopes to surpass it in the round 3 activity.
As per DOH guidelines, 85% of the targeted children must be vaccinated after the first (5) days of the activity so that 10% will only remain on the sixth day until culmination day on February 2
The mOPV targets 114,774 children aged 0-59 years old which is the province’s total population for said age group.
National Immunization Program (NIP) Manager Genesis Navales, RN revealed that the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) plans to deploy 11 teams, one for each LGU, in the duration of the mass vaccination.
“The IPHO teams will supervise the activity for the first 3 days, conduct Rapid Coverage Assessment (RCA) starting on the fourth day and simultaneous RCA and Mop-up on the fifth day until the end of the SPKP,” Navales said.
“But the teams might also engage as vaccinators if we will be provided with vaccines and other logistics, and we have organized 5 teams for that,” Navales added.
According to DOH, they will still employ the house-to-house vaccination to adhere to their slogan that “no child shall be left behind during the vaccination campaign.”
