STO. TOMAS, La Union (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH)-Ilocos Center for Health Development launched measles, rubella, bivalent oral polio vaccine supplementary immunization activity (MR-bOPV SIA) or the "Chikiting Ligtas” campaign in Sto. Tomas town on April 28.

A total of 2,402 children in the municipality are expected to get the vaccine, while DOH targets to immunize 70,080 kids in the whole province of La Union.

Health workers will go house-to-house to ensure that no children will miss the vaccine.

The immunization campaign will run until May 31.

It aims to immunize 95% of children aged nine to 59 months against measles and rubella, and zero to not over five years old for polio.

The urgent need for immediate conduct of the activity is because of the alarming increase of measles and rubella in the province, which was suspected to have 17 cases as of April, compared to only two cases in the same period last year.

Dr. Paula Paz Sydiongco, DOH Ilocos regional director, said that the vaccine is free and safe to use, thus encouraging the parents to have their children vaccinated.

She said, "Sana po ay ipa-vaccine po ninyo ang inyong mga anak dahil masyado na pong nasugatan ang ating ekonomiya dahil sa pandemic and we cannot afford to have another epidemic."

Dr. Namrata Bhatta, a representative from the World Health Organization, also graced the event as one of the speakers.

In her speech, she said, "The three years pandemic caused the children to miss vaccines against these deadly illnesses and now, we encourage everyone to take part in this campaign to protect our children."

This campaign is also in line with the celebration of the World Immunization Week, with the theme: "The Big Catch-Up," which is usually observed every last week of April. (JCR/AMB/KDM/RMM/PIA Region 1)