Local officials in the cities of Cotabato and Kidapawan are eyeing a total of 46,000 children aged 59-months old and below to receive immunization vaccines against polio.

More than 300 health teams in two cities, led by Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, respectively, started the immunization program dubbed as “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” that will last until December 7.

Cotabato City Health Officer Dr. Meyasser Patadon said the more than 200 teams of “bakunadors” (vaccinators) have been deployed in the city’s 37 villages for the immunization.

To show to Muslim parents that the vaccines are safe, Sayadi personally administered the dropping of oral vaccines to her grandchild.

“It has been proven safe and effective,” Patadon told reporters here in an interview Monday.

In Kidapawan City, City legal officer Jose Paulo Evangelista led the launching of mass immunization in the city’s 40 villages.

“Health workers will go around the city for the house-to-house immunization,” he added.

Aside from house-to-house vaccination, the Kidapawan City Health office also opened up vaccination centers in malls, big department stores, public terminals and village halls, including those in the evacuation centers.

About 1,500 families are in evacuation sites after the series of earthquakes that rocked Kidapawan and the rest of the province last month.

“No child should be left behind,” Dr. Joy Encienzo, Kidapawan health officer, said in a statement. The second round of immunization will take place from January 6 to 18, 2020. (PNA)