BAGUIO CITY– The city health services office (CHSO) here has recorded in the last five years a steady rate of below 90 percent immunization rate for children below one-year-old, and zero cases of polio, an official said on Tuesday.
“In the last five years, we have been having rates of below 90 percent coverage on immunization pero wala pa naman tayong naire-report na polio case (but we still do not have any report of a case of polio) in Baguio City,” CHSO chief, Dr. Rowena Galpo said.
She said the benchmark should be 95 percent to prevent any outbreaks of polio, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
She said CHSO does not only monitor immunization rate for polio but the “fully immunized children”, meaning that all vaccines in which a child below one year old must be given.
Galpo said a “fully immunized” child is one who has got three oral polio vaccines and one injectable polio vaccine, DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), two anti-measles vaccines and BCG or bacilli Calmette-Guerin to protect the child from tuberculosis.
Galpo said Baguio has been polio-free for the last nine years.
However, the CHSO has resumed the surveillance to assure that cases will be immediately acted upon. The surveillance includes reporting even if there are zero cases.
“Any disease for that matter na merong parang medyo humina ang legs, hindi maka lakad, that’s called acute flaccid paralysis, ire-report kaagad (Any disease that involves weak legs, inability to walk which is called acute flaccid paralysis, is immediately reported),” Galpo said.
Galpo said some ways to prevent polio is to be immunized, refrain from open defecation and to maintain a clean and sanitary toilet.
She said the poliovirus thrives in the stomach and it goes with the feces during defecation, so there is a need to assure that human feces are disposed of properly.
She said Baguio has not yet attained a 100 percent toilet-complete residential facility due to the presence of mobile informal settlers. **PNA
