Students of Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Senior Central Elementary School, with parents and teachers, joined and witnessed the ceremonial immunization on Monday that marked the start of the city-wide school-based immunization (SBI) in public schools.
The City Health Office (CHO), in partnership with the Department of Health, led the SBI, which is aimed at protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
During the launching, a few of Grades 1 and 7 students received vaccines against Measles-Rubella and Tetanus- Diptheria, while female students under Grade 4 also received vaccines against the Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer.
CHO Rural Health Physician Dr. Ma. Vilma Gonzaga said that for Kapitan Tomas Monteverde alone, they target to vaccinate around 2,000 students. They will stay for the whole week at the school except on Wednesdays when vaccinators will focus on regular immunization at the community health centers.
She said that SBI is also being simultaneously conducted in other schools in different areas in Davao City. Vaccinators may stay in one area for about a week or shorter depending on the number of students per school.
“Kani siya nga vaccination, additional ni siya nga vaccination sa mga bata, dili ni siya regular nga vaccination (This kind of vaccination is an additional vaccination for the children it is not a regular vaccination) ,” she said.
She added that vaccination cards are handed out to students to record the vaccination date in case it may be asked in future school-based vaccinations.
Gonzaga said that they require parents’ consent before administering vaccines to the children.
“Kung walay pirma ang parents dili pud namo pugson.( If the parents will not sign the consent form, we will not force them),” she said.
She vouched for the safety of the vaccines and that these only have minimal side effects such as mild fever and pain in the injected areas.
DOH Undersecretary Abdullah P. Dumama Jr., in a media interview, also backed the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, saying that these are the same vaccines given by the health centers through the years.
He said that the DOH has enough stock of vaccines that can be used for school-based immunization.
Both the CHO and the DOH target to cover 95 percent of the target grade levels. CIO
