DOH: Measles vax coverage at 90%, polio at 87%

The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Monday that the government's vaccination program against measles-rubella and polio has reached over 90 percent of eligible children despite the ongoing pandemic.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire noted that 90.3% or 8.5 million out of the 9.4-million target population received a measles-rubella vaccine, while 87% or 6 million of the 6.9-million target children under five years old got an oral polio vaccine.

The first phase of the program was conducted in October to November 2020 in most Luzon regions and Mindanao, with the second phase covering Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Visayas in February this year.

However, Vergeire acknowledged that due to the pandemic, only around 61.5% of eligible children completed their routine childhood immunizations in 2020.