Photo courtesy of Jiabong Rural Health Unit
Nearly 280,000 children across Eastern Visayas received protection against measles and rubella during a month-long immunization drive, pushing regional vaccination coverage to 96.5 percent, the Department of Health said.
The DOH recorded 279,973 vaccinated children out of a target population of 290,122 during the supplemental immunization campaign conducted from Aug. 10 to Sept. 4.
Leyte accounted for the largest number with 109,221 children vaccinated, followed by Samar with 60,099 and Eastern Samar with 35,613. Northern Samar recorded 33,459 vaccinations.
Another 13,273 children were reached in Tacloban City, 11,536 in Southern Leyte, 9,190 in Biliran and 7,582 in Ormoc City.
The campaign targeted children aged six to 59 months regardless of their previous vaccination history. Vitamin A supplementation was also provided as part of the activity.
Health authorities credited cooperation among local governments and communities for bringing the region close to its vaccination target, particularly by making immunization services more accessible to families.
The DOH said measles and rubella remain preventable through vaccination, which helps protect children from the diseases and potentially serious complications.
Although the month-long campaign has ended, parents and guardians can still have eligible children vaccinated for free at rural health units and government hospitals across the region.