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PH Red Cross vaccinates over 1M children vs polio

Philippines | National

PH Red Cross vaccinates over 1M children vs polio

By Rhowen Del Rosario

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) announced on Tuesday, Oct. 24, that it had vaccinated over one million children against the debilitating poliovirus.

PH Red Cross 10-24 2.jpg — Photo credit to PRC

The humanitarian organization released a statement that coincides with "World Polio Day," an annual observance that highlights the importance of polio vaccination.

PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard "Dick" Gordon reiterated the organization's commitment to strengthening and expanding its polio vaccination drive, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic — which disrupted immunization programs and increased children's vulnerability to health complications.

"Rain or shine, our volunteer doctors and nurses have been conducting vaccination campaigns in communities,” Gordon said.

“Today, I want to thank them for using their skills to help countless Filipino children," he added.

PRC’s vaccination efforts and 6,000 mobilized volunteers have reached 4,200 communities in four years. These communities include densely populated regions in Metro Manila and isolated areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

Since 2019, the PRC administered polio vaccines to 1,088,601 children, protecting them from the highly infectious and potentially life-threatening poliovirus.

In addition, PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang also highlighted that this year, the PRC also immunized 57,000 children against other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles.

Related Tags

world polio day PH Red Cross

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