- Title: Philippines holds mass vaccination drive against polio
- Date: 14th October 2019
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) CROWD QUEUING INSIDE COVERED GYMNASIUM INFANT TAKING POLIO VACCINE HEALTH WORKERS ASSISTING CROWD GIRL TAKING VACCINE PEOPLE QUEUING INFANT RECEIVING VACCINE (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) FATHER OF ONE MONTH OLD INFANT, NEIL DE GUZMAN AGOT, SAYING: "It's my first time to have my child vaccinated. This is my first baby and I want to have his safety in mind that is why I want him vaccinated." INFANT CRYING WHILE RECEIVING VACCINATION INFANT TAKING VACCINE DROPS (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) MOTHER OF INFANT GIRL, JONALOU NAIG, SAYING: "It's important for my child to be immunised against polio because it would be difficult once they get sick in the future and blame it on the lack of immunisation." PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH UNDERSECRETARY ENRIQUE DOMINGO BESIDE LOCAL OFFICIALS ASSISTING IN VACCINATION OF BOY BOY CRYING WHILE BEING VACCINATED (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH UNDERSECRETARY, ENRIQUE DOMINGO, SAYING: "It is frightening to get sick with polio because it can paralyse and even kill, that is why we ask the parents to have their children vaccinated." INFANT TAKING VACCINE HEALTH WORKER ADMINISTERING VACCINE CROWD INSIDE COVERED GYMNASIUM
- Embargoed: 28th October 2019 08:53
- Keywords: polio vaccine campaign health virus mass vaccination Philippines
- Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001B12HI6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING.
Government officials in Manila kicked off its polio immunisation drive for children on Monday (October 14) after recent cases have been reported in the country.
Hundreds of residents at a suburb in the Philippine capital trooped to a covered gymnasium and had their children vaccinated with polio vaccines.
Two cases have been reported in recent weeks, which health officials said was caused by "vaccine-derived" polio rather than the wild type of the virus, which had been eradicated in the country nearly two decades ago.
Vaccine-derived cases tend to occur in places with low vaccine coverage and poor sanitation as people who have been vaccinated excrete the virus, putting those who have not been vaccinated at risk of catching it.
Eroding trust in vaccines and poor access to healthcare facilities are among the reasons why Filipino children are not getting vaccinated, compounding the problems of health authorities already battling measles and dengue outbreaks.
Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. Children under five are the most vulnerable, but polio can be prevented with vaccination.
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