By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Health officials in the Philippines announced that its Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP) campaign, for polio vaccination, has been extended to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated and to boost protection for those already vaccinated.

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The succeeding rounds are scheduled on January 20 to February 2 in all regions of Mindanao, and on January 27 – February 7 in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila).

“I urge all parents and caregivers of children under five years old to take part in the coming SPKP campaign rounds scheduled in your respective areas. Have your children, including those with private physicians or pediatricians, vaccinated with oral polio vaccine by health workers and bakunators. Additional polio doses can provide additional protection to your children. There is no overdose with the oral polio vaccine,” the Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.

Department of Health and the Local Government Units aim to accomplish 95% coverage in all identified areas for every SPKP round.

DOH also urges all health facilities to strengthen their Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance. All health facilities must promptly report every case of AFP in any child under 15 years of age and gather sufficient stool specimen samples.

“The outbreak must be put to a halt, and we can only do this if all our health facilities are achieving the targets for all AFP surveillance indicators, and if every SPKP round, ALL of the target population are reached and vaccinated. The DOH, its partners, and the LGUs will continue to work hand-in-hand to ensure that no child is left behind in our fight against polio,” Duque sai.

The Department of Health (DOH) last week confirmed four more polio cases in the country, bringing the total number of polio cases to 16 since the outbreak was declared in September 2019.