MANGALDAN, Pangasinan (PIA) -- The Department of Health-Center for Health Development 1 (DOH-CHD 1) is gearing up to strengthen its vaccination campaign with the "Every day is Bakuna Day" program launched on Friday, April 19.
Dr. Paula Paz Sydiongco, regional director of DOH-CHD-1, underscored that the program aims to increase immunization coverage among children aged 0-59 months and raise awareness regarding the importance of vaccines which protect people against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).
Sydiongco said the campaign is a response to the low vaccination rate of the region, which stood at only 17 percent in the first quarter of this year.
She said through the campaign, a total of 104,281 children in the region are expected to be fully immunized at the end of 2024.
Advocating for community involvement, Sydiongco emphasized the imperative of collective action in safeguarding children's health.
"We must come together as a global community to combat immunization, improve vaccine distribution, and prioritize public health," Sydiongco said.
The program, launched in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Relief International, was initiated in Mangaldan town to address the unvaccinated children in the area.
John Paul Aquino, regional immunization coordinator of DOH-CHD1, said the town has the highest number of children requiring vaccination but records the lowest immunization rate.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cielo Almoite, Provincial Health Officer I, said the province of Pangasinan has failed to meet the 95 percent national target for childhood vaccination rates for the past years.
Almoite stressed that by intensifying the vaccination schedule, the program will ensure equitable access to immunization benefits for all children.
Angela Andal, a 26 year-old parent from Barangay Salay, Mangaldan, expressed her confidence about the vaccines provided by the government as it will help protect her child from vaccine preventable diseases.
"For me as a mother, I am reassured that my daughter is protected against diseases like measles and polio because of these free vaccination programs from the LGUs. These types of initiatives are also helpful to us considering that not all parents can afford going to private clinics," Andal said.
With the Every day is Bakuna Day program, parents can get their children vaccinated from Mondays to Fridays, not just on Wednesdays which is the usual vaccination day. (JCR/MJTAB/EMSA/APG/PIA Pangasinan)
