Taguig City advocates immunization in children; offers free vaccination in schools

First LGU in NCR to implement School-based Immunization for 2019

 

In Taguig, our children’s health and welfare is a priority.

 

A proof of this is the city’s preparedness and immediate compliance to Department of Health’s (DOH) school-based immunization (SBI) program— making Taguig City the first local government unit in the National Capital Region (NCR) to implement the program for this year which started last June 24.

 

As a result, the SBI implementation in the probinsyudad is a week ahead from other LGUs since the official kickoff ceremony of the program for this year was held today in an event dubbed as Back to Bakuna: School-Based Immunization Kick-off Activity at Signal Village National High School in Taguig.

 

Taguig’s school-based immunization program is a strategy where government medical personnel visit public schools to provide free vaccination services to students.

 

For this year, more than 19,000 Taguigeño pupils and educators are set to be immunized by the local government as part of its yearly SBI.  And as of May 2019, 6,087 of them have already been vaccinated.

 

In 2018, 14,960 Taguigeño schoolchildren and schoolteachers were fully immunized under the school-based immunization program of the city.

 

Under its school-based immunization program, the City Health Office (CHO) offers MRTD (Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria) vaccines to Grades 1 and 7 pupils while human papillomavirus (HPV) doses were given to Grade 4 and Grade 5 students.

 

According to the National Immunization Program for the City of Taguig Dr. Jennifer Lou De Guzman, orientations were done for school nurses so that they can properly answer queries of parents on vaccines during assemblies.

 

“Taguig City believes that our kababayan’s health serves as the backbone of our community that’s why we do not stop educating our parents about the importance of getting their children and themselves immunized,” she further explained.

 

The City of Taguig currently offers free vaccinations in its barangay health centers. These include BCG vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, Pentavalent vaccine or 5-in-1 vaccine, Hib (Haemophilus influenza type) vaccine, DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) vaccine, Oral poliovirus vaccine, and Pneumococcal vaccines for senior citizens.

 

In his message during the Back to Bakuna event in the city, Mayor Lino Cayetano highlighted the importance of the cooperation of the City Health Office, the Department of Health and the Department of Education in advancing health programs in the city.

 

“This Back to Bakuna program is one example of the cooperation of these agencies to ensure that our children are healthy,” the Taguig City Mayor added.

 

The City of Taguig is also encouraging its residents to take advantage of the free vaccination services offered at schools instead of going to a private clinic where the same services may cost them P1,000 up to P18,000 depending on the number of doses.

 

In coordination with the DOH and Department of Interior and Local Government, Taguig City recently hosted the Parents Forum: Protected Together-Vaccines Work held at the Lakeshore Hall in Barangay Lower Bicutan last June 20. It served as a venue to increase the awareness of the benefits of vaccination among parents.

 

Last November 2018, the DOH-NCR’s HPV School-Based Immunization was officially launched in Taguig City to help protect women from cervical cancer.

 

Under the program, 6,000 Grade 4 schoolgirls were targeted to receive the HPV vaccine.

 

In addition to the achievements of Taguig in the area of health, the city also has a 130% accomplishment when it comes to Outbreak Response Immunization activity. Moreover, even without the measles outbreak within Taguig, the city continues to immunize its residents all year round.

 

More than 4,000 pneumococcal vaccinations were also given to senior citizens, fisherfolk, vendors and local transport sectors during their Bida sa Kalusugan event last January. ###

 

FILIPINO VERSION

Taguig sumusuporta sa pagbabakuna ng kabataan; nagbibigay ng libreng bakuna sa mga paaralan

Pinakaunang LGU na nagsagawa ng School-based Immunization para sa taong 2019

 

Sa Taguig, ang kalusugan at kapakanan ng kabataan ay prayoridad.

 

Isang pruweba nito ay ang kahandaan ng lungsod at maagap na pagsunod sa school-based immunization (SBI) program ng Department of Health (DOH)— na naging dahilan upang ito ang maging kauna-unahang lokal na yunit ng pamahalaan sa National Capital Region na magsagawa ng programa ngayong taon na sinimulan noong ika-24 ng Hunyo.

 

Dahil rito, mas maaga ang naging SBI implementation ng probinsyudad kaysa sa ibang LGU dahil ginanap ang opisyal na kickoff ceremony ng programa noong Miyerkules lamang na tinawag na Back to Bakuna: School-Based Immunization Kick-off Activity sa Signal Village National High School.

 

Ang school-based immunization program ng lungsod ay isang estratehiya kung saan ang mga medical personnel ng lungsod ay bumibisita sa mga pampublikong paaralan upang makapagbigay ng libreng bakuna sa mga mag-aaral.

 

Para sa taong ito, mahigit 19,000 na Taguigeñong mag-aaral at guro ang nakatakdang mabakunahan bilang parte ng taunang SBI ng lokal na pamahalaan. At ngayong Mayo 2019, 6,087 na sa kanila ang nabakunahan.

 

Noong 2018, 14,960 na Taguigeñong mag-aaral at guro ang fully immunized sa ilalim ng school-based immunization program ng lungsod.

 

Sa ilalim ng school-based immunization program, nagbibigay ang City Health Office (CHO) ng MRTD (Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria) vaccines sa Grade 1 at Grade 7 na mag-aaral habang human papillomavirus (HPV) doses naman ang binibigay sa mga mag-aaral na Grade 4 at Grade 5.

 

Ayon sa National Immunization Program for the City of Taguig Dr. Jennifer Lou De Guzman, nagkaroon ng mga orientation ang school nurses para tama ang maisagot nila sa mga katanungan ng mga magulang tungkol sa bakuna tuwing may pagtitipon sa paaralan.

 

“Taguig City believes that our kababayan’s health serves as the backbone of our community that’s why we do not stop educating our parents about the importance of getting their children and themselves immunized,” paliwanag niya.

 

Ang lungsod ng Taguig ay kasalukuyang nagbibigay ng libreng bakuna sa mga barangay health centers. Kabilang dito ang BCG vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, Pentavalent vaccine or 5-in-1 vaccine, Hib (Haemophilus influenza type) vaccine, DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) vaccine, Oral poliovirus vaccine, at Pneumococcal vaccines para sa mga senior citizen.

 

Sa kanyang mensahe noong Back to Bakuna event ng lungsod, binanggit ni Mayor Lino Cayetano ang importansya ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng City Health Office, Department of Health at Department of Education sa pagpapalaganap ng mga programang pangkalusugan sa ating syudad.

 

“This Back to Bakuna program is one example of the cooperation of these agencies to ensure that our children are healthy,” saad ng Punong Lungsod ng Taguig.

 

Hinihikayat din ng lokal na pamahalaan ang mga residente na samantalahin ang libreng pagbabakuna na ibinibigay sa mga eskwelahan imbes na bumisita sa mga pribadong klinik kung saan inaabot ng mula P1000 hanggang P18000 ang bawat serbisyo na dumidepende pa sa dami ng dosage.

 

Sa pakikipagtulungan naman ng DOH at Department of Interior and Local Government, isinagawa kamaikailan ng Taguig ang Parents Forum: Protected Together-Vaccines Work sa Lakeshore Hall sa Barangay Lower Bicutan noong ika-20 ng Hunyo. Ang pagtitipon ay naging daan upang madagdagan pa ang kaalaman ng mga magulang sa benepisyong dala ng bakuna.

 

Noong Nobyembre 2018, inilunsad din sa Taguig ang programa ng DOH-NCR na tinawag na HPV School-Based Immunization na naglalayong protektahan ang mga kababaihan mula sa cervical cancer.

 

Sa ilalim ng nasabing programa, 6,000 estudyanteng kababaihan mula Grade 4 ang nais mapabakunahan ng HPV vaccine.

 

Dagdag pa sa mga tagumpay na nakamit ng Taguig pagdating sa mga programang pangkalusugan ay ang 130% accomplishment nito noong inimplementa ang Outbreak Response Immunization. Bukod dito, patuloy pa rin ang pagbabakuna nito sa mga residente buong taon kahit na tapos na ang measles outbreak.

 

Mahigit 4,000 pneumococcal vaccinations din ang naibigay nila para sa mga senior citizen, mangingisda, tindera, at mga kababayan mula sa transport sectors noong Bida ng Kalusugan na isinagawa noong Enero.###