The Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) in Antique will be conducting home visits to convince parents to let their children avail of “Chikiting Ligtas’ or the supplemental immunization for measles and rubella (MR) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) during the entire month of May. LnB president Pamela Socorro-Azucena said in an interview Saturday that she gave her commitment to support the Department of Health (DOH) and the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) ‘Chikiting Ligtas’ campaign during the stakeholders meeting on Friday. ‘The barangay officials are giving their full support to the campaign because we love our children,’ she said. Azucena said barangay officials will go house to house to inform and encourage the parents of the importance of immunization. She said parents, especially in remote areas, need to know the protection that immunization could provide to their children. Dr. Rommel Gargarnera, DOH Antique provincial officer, said in his message during the stakeholders’ coordination meeting and commitment signing that they are seeking the support of the national government agencies, local government units, private sector, pediatric society and the media to help them in the campaign. ‘The DOH alone cannot achieve our target in the province and so we are collaborating with the stakeholders for their support,’ Garganera said. Antique is eyeing to immunize 58,472 children aged nine to 59 months old with MR, and 68,339 children from zero to 59 months old with the OPV. The immunization will be conducted at fixed sites such as rural health units or barangay health centers, schools, and other identified areas.
Source: Philippines News Agency