Simultaneous with the IEC is the vaccination of children in the different schools, day care centers and barangays since the month of July this year.
“If you love your family, bring your child for immunization,” Dr. Joseph Bulayungan, Chief of the Ifugao General Hospital, urged parents.
He shared that that earlier this year, health authorities noted different illnesses preventable by immunization like diphtheria, measles, dengue, hemorrhagic fever and lately, polio. They discovered that the main reason of the re-occurrence of these illnesses is due to the low percentage of immunization which is 65% instead of at least 95% immunized children.
He encouraged all parents to bring their children for immunization which is provided for free in all the rural health units, district hospitals and barangay health stations. Or they sign the parental consent allowing their children to be vaccinated in the school-based immunization program.
Municipal health offices in the province are conducting school-based immunization (SBI) in public schools to provide Kindergarten to Grade 7 a second opportunity for measles and rubella vaccine. Booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria are also provided.
Diptheria is a bacterial infection that involves almost any mucous membrane but the most common infection sites are the tonsils and pharynx that can lead to obstruction and difficulty in breathing.
Some symptoms of Diptheria include sore throat, loss of appetite, fever and formation of a bluish-white or gray membrane that covers the back of the throat that can cause bleeding resulting to gagging or difficulty in swallowing or breathing.
In Kiangan, Municipal Health Officer Dr. Cherry Namuhe said volunteer nursing students of the Ifugao State University are helping in the immunization campaign. (JDP/DBC- PIA CAR, Ifugao)
