To successfully end the polio outbreak, the Department of Health on Monday said that additional rounds of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio in all regions of Mindanao and the National Capital Region would be extended until April 2020.
With the extension of the campaign, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health aims to achieve at least 95-percent coverage in all identified areas for every SPKP round.
He said the move would ensure that there will be no child missed.
“We need to provide evidence that the transmission of poliovirus is already contained before we can end the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign," said Duque, who admitted that the fight against polio is far from over.
"For us to effectively and successfully stop the transmission of this disease, we need to sustain our synchronized efforts," said Duque.
"We must continue to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated,” he added.
He emphasized that additional rounds for the SPKP were scheduled to address the reported positive polio cases from the Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance in Mindanao, and positive environmental samples in Metro Manila.
The health chief also cited the need for participation of everybody—other government agencies, the local government units, partners, our local health workers, and bakunators to put an end to the polio outbreak.
For NCR, two (2) additional rounds are scheduled Jan. 27 to Feb. 7 and March 9 to March 20. Macon Ramos-Araneta
For Mindanao, a limited response round will be conducted in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga City, Isabela City, and Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat on Jan. 6 to 12, 2020; and additional two (2) rounds for all regions in Mindanao are scheduled on Feb. 17 to March 1 and March 23 to April 4, 2020.
In 2019, the DOH has successfully conducted several vaccination rounds of the SPKP campaign in response to the polio outbreak.
