More than 12,000 students from selected grade levels in Tacloban City are listed to be immunized in the school-based nationwide vaccination program, “Bakuna-Eskwela” of the Department of Health.

The eligible population will be inoculated for measles-rubella (MR), tetanus, diphtheria, and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) during the month-long school-based immunization effort, which will run until November 2024.

During the program’s regional launch held at San Fernando Central School, in this city, Monday (October 7), DOH Regional Director Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino noted that this resumption of school-based immunization will help address the growing cases of vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.

“Marami tayong mga sakit na sana napreprevent, if only all kids are immunized. So given, that we are just coming out from the pandemic, marami tayong kabataan ngayon na at high risk. Na missed nila ang immunization during the years na dapat naibigay sa kanila. We want to prevent outbreaks in schools that is why there is a joint memorandum between DOH and the Department of Education encouraging all schools to go into school-based immunization for eligible populations,” Dr. Sabalberino explained.

In Tacloban City, 4,533 Grade 1 students and 5,356 Grade 7 learners will be vaccinated against MR and tetanus. Meanwhile, the HPV vaccines will only be administered to 2,745 Grade 4 female students to help prevent potential cervical cancer, which is among the public health issues in the country.

Schools Division Superintendent Sherlita Palma underscored how parents should support this initiative, saying these vaccines are good for the children as it “safe and effective.”

Meantime, Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, the acting city health officer expressed gratitude to the DOH for providing vaccines and is optimistic about the rollout. She said that the local health office vaccinators will be helping in the immunization drive to cover the schools under the 10 district learning centers in Tacloban City.

Parents who consented to their children’s participation in the vaccination program, along with barangay health workers, and officials from Barangay 54 witnessed the launching program.

The said immunization program began in 2013 and was regularly conducted in public schools up until the COVID-19 pandemic.