The Department of Health Cordillera (DOH-CAR) is targeting 74,415 public school learners for vaccination in the Bakuna Eskwela program in the region.
The two-month school-based vaccination program began on October 7 in the Cordillera region.
Albert Jose Sumadchat, senior health program officer under the Public Health Unit of the DOH-CAR, said on Wednesday that the targeted children are grades 1, 4 and 7 learners in 1,844 public schools in the region.
Specifically, about 27,026 first graders and 31,847 seventh graders will be given measles and rubella vaccines, while 15,542 female fourth graders will be given anti-human papillomavirus vaccines.
According to Sumadchat, there have been no objections to the vaccines from the parents of the students targeted for the jabs.
DOH-CAR has increased its targets for vaccination as the regional office recorded a 65 percent immunization rate among children last year, while the rate as of August this year is about 42 percent, he said.
In addition to vaccination, the DOH-CAR is also looking to establish a system incorporating private practitioners’ vaccination records with those of the government for data accuracy.
