SP supports immunization drive

The 20th City Council on its regular session Monday unanimously adopted a resolution expressing its unequivocal support to the Measles Rubella Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental lmmunization Activity (MR OPV SIA) by the Relief International (RI) Philippines. The program is aimed at protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases.

In its resolution, the City Council also urge the Barangay Councils of the city’s 80 barangays to extend full support to the social mobilization and public awareness activities so as to influence their respective constituents especially parents in addressing refusals and hesitancies about vaccination or immunization.

Mr. Jose E.G. Michael Lacre (RI Communication for Development Specialist), presented during the session the organization’s objectives, components and its project, entitled: Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Technical Support to Last Mile COVID-19 Vaccination and Routine Immunization.

This is in compliance with its six-month engagement, from January to June 2023, in close coordination and partnership with the Center for Health Development in Northern Mindanao, particularly in providing various capacity-building programs and activities for the health workers in the city.

Relief International Philippines is a non-profit organization working in partnership with UNICEF which supports the country’s vaccination campaigns through a set of comprehensive community-level social mobilization activities and awareness that aims to improve awareness of parents and caregivers on immunization and increase participation in the mass immunization campaigns.

It has also been delivering emergency aid and relief in response to natural disasters and conflict in the country for more than 30 years. It has also initiated a unique program that helped fight the pandemic and support families affected by it, The Gavel learned.