A total of 148,201 children in Negros Oriental are targeted for the nationwide “Chikiting Ligtas” mass vaccination campaign against measles and rubella (MR) and polio during the whole month of May.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion said the month-long “Chikiting Ligtas” (Safe Children) supplemental immunization campaign was launched at a ceremony in Sibulan town yesterday, a day after Labor Day.

Estacion said the province has enough supply of vaccines for measles and rubella.

However, due to limited supply from the Department of Health (DOH), only a few geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in the province have been identified for the oral polio vaccination (OPV), she said.

These are the cities of Guihulngan and Tanjay; and the towns of Mabinay and Sta. Catalina, which has remote barangays.

Children aged zero to 59 months will be given the oral polio vaccine while those aged nine months to 59 months will have measles-rubella shots.

Meanwhile, Estacion said the province would endeavor to immunize at least 75 percent of the total target population of the “Chikiting Ligtas” campaign in Negros Oriental as she believes it would be too difficult to reach the 95 percent nationwide target set by the DOH.

“The 95 percent national target is too high and not ideal for Negros Oriental due to the presence of GIDAs, which means that there are remote areas that cannot be accessed for a variety of reasons, such as the lack of nurses,” she said.

Some GIDAs are also affected by the communist insurgency, which might compromise the security of health workers bringing the vaccines.

However, Estacion promised that they would do their best to meet the target.

Despite the DOH’s limited demand, she said, families who can afford to have their children immunized at private clinics or hospitals may do so.

Either way, Estacion called on parents to have their children immunized as vaccines protect them from preventable diseases. (PNA)