DOH-7 launches measles-rubella drive, aims to vaccinate 95% of kids

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 95 percent of eligible children are being targeted for vaccination as the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas Center for Health Development launched a region-wide drive against measles and rubella on Monday, August 10.

The Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), which runs until August 28, covers children aged six months to 59 months.

Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo, DOH-7’s assistant regional director, said the campaign seeks to protect young children from the highly contagious diseases and prevent outbreaks in communities.

“Every vaccination is an investment in a healthier future, protecting not only the individual child but also the families, schools, and the entire community,” Erasmo said during the project’s regional launch at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

Erasmo said health workers are also working to reach children in far-flung communities so distance will not prevent eligible children from receiving the vaccines.

LGU vaccination schedules

Local government units (LGUs) will determine how and where vaccination will be carried out based on the needs and conditions of their respective communities.

Dr. Faith Curaraton, medical coordinator of DOH-7’s National Immunization Program, said parents and guardians should coordinate with their local health workers for the schedules.

“They know where, when, and what time [the vaccination activities are],” she said in a media forum on August 5.

Curaraton said LGUs may hold vaccination sessions at rural health units, daycare centers, schools, malls and other sites.

Some local governments may also schedule vaccination activities on weekends to make it easier for working parents to bring their children.

The regional MR-SIA campaign covers all local government units in Cebu and Bohol, including the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

For this year’s vaccination drive, the DOH is targeting around 630,000 children across Central Visayas.

In Cebu Province

Dr. Sheila Faciol, Cebu provincial health officer, said the all provincial and district hospitals will serve as vaccination sites alongside rural health units across the province.

For the duration of the campaign, the Provincial Health Office will work with DOH-7 and local city and municipal health offices to bring vaccination activities down to the barangay level.

Barangay health workers will assist in locating and registering children who fall within the program’s eligible age group.

The province has also strengthened its immunization efforts through Executive Order No. 40, which Gov. Pamela Baricuatro earlier signed to establish the Provincial Immunization Task Force.

The task force is intended to improve coordination among agencies and support the implementation of the vaccination program across Cebu.

Why measles vaccination matters

The World Health Organization describes measles and rubella as highly contagious airborne diseases.

Curaraton said measles commonly starts with fever, cough, red eyes and skin rashes, while rubella can present with similar symptoms.

She added that these diseases can cause severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis or brain inflammation, and in worst cases, death.

The virus spreads through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, making crowded places such as classrooms potential sites for rapid transmission.

“If there are 100 children in a classroom and one child gets measles, as many as 80 could become infected the very next day. By the following day, the number could rise to 95 to 100, meaning almost the entire class could be affected,” Curaraton said in the August 5 forum.

“In order for that to stop, we need to vaccinate at least 95 of the children. It is similar to achieving herd immunity,” she added.

Curaraton also warned that adults who contract measles may unknowingly pass the virus to infants and young children, who are particularly vulnerable to complications.

She added that measles does not follow a particular season and can occur at any time of the year and this makes continued vaccination coverage necessary.

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