The City Health Office of the City of Mati is aiming to administer anti-polio vaccine to 17,000 children under 5 years old as the Mindanao-wide immunization kicks-off Monday, November 25.

No less than City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat led the ceremonial start of the immunization campaign for the anti-polio drive for children below five years old.

Mayor Michelle thanked the city health personnel for their services to ensure that  no kids will be afflicted with polio in the near future. 

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease. It is caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis.

City Health Officer Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. said they target to immunize 17,000 children under 5 years old in the City of Mati from November 25 until December 7. 

Mati CHO said that all 26 barangays in the city will be covered by the 70 teams that will be dispatched to make a house-to-house vaccination starting today. 

Each teams will be composed of midwife, DOH personnel, nurse, Red Cross personnel, and volunteer nursing students. 

Mati CHO said that all 34 barangay health stations in the city will be activated for the massive anti-polio vaccination while three fixed sites namely the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center, St. Camillus, and bus terminal/Mati public market will also have vaccination stations to cater to kids under 5 years old.

Those administered with the anti-polio vaccine will be color-marked on their left pinkie. Mati CHO said they have prepared a total of 1,032 vials for the campaign with each vial being able to deliver oral vaccination for 18-20 kids. 

Another round of vaccination is scheduled on January 6-18, 2020. (CIO MATI)