In support of the Department of Health’s (DOH) 2021 vaccination program, Chikiting Ligtas, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) started its nationwide measles-rubella and polio supplemental immunization activity (SIA) last February 1.

During the second phase, the children will be given additional vaccination doses aside from their routine immunization. For 2021, the PRC aims to vaccinate 100,000 children, with 50,000 children each for polio and measles-rubella.

In relation to this, the national government targets to vaccinate a total of 6,919,015 children with the bivalent oral polio vaccine, and 9,472,468 children with the measles-rubella vaccine.

To help achieve these numbers, PRC will be doing vaccination programs during February. They will be mobilizing 2,000 volunteers, with 75 staff coming from the 35 PRC chapters. The volunteers and staff will be divided into 300 teams, with each team directed to reach 500,000 households in 500 communities.

“The need to vaccinate children is crucial for us to halt the ongoing polio outbreak and prevent an impending measles outbreak. Let us protect our children as early as now,” said PRC Chairman & CEO, Sen. Richard Gordon.

Within the last two years, from October 2019 to December 2020, PRC vaccinated 960,429 children against polio and 83,799 against measles-rubella. PRC was able to vaccinate a total of 1,044,228.

PRC Chairman Gordon also emphasized on the importance of the coordination between DOH and PRC in the speedy supplemental immunization of the children. Moreover, Gordon acknowledged the PRC staff and volunteers who faced the risks of the current pandemic to protect communities against polio, measles, and rubella.

“PRC’s greatest assets will always be its dedicated volunteers and staff. Their service has been instrumental for this supplemental immunization activity.” Gordon said, “As Chairman, I am very thankful and proud that many volunteers are fulfilling the Red Cross humanitarian mandate whenever, wherever.”

(Source: Philippine Information Agency)

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