The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday urged parents and guardians to prepare their children before taking part in the nationwide vaccination drive in public schools starting next week.

“Ito po ang nakikita natin lagi sa mga Bakuna Eskwela natin sa mga previous years of our experiences, ‘yung ating mga learners, ating mga anak na nahihimatay, na parang natatakot doon sa ating mga bakunahan (In the previous years of our experience regarding Bakuna Eskwela, our learners, our children passed out because they were scared of getting vaccinated),” DOH Health Promotion Bureau division chief Dominic Maddumba said in an online Media Kapihan.

He advised parents and guardians to explain to their children the benefits of vaccination and assure them that healh care workers and teachers would be there to look after their safety.

“Also, pakainin po ang mga anak bago sila pumasok sa paaralan. One of the reasons rin na biglang nahihimatay o natatakot rin yung mga bata ay dahil gutom sila pagpasok ng paaralan (Also, feed your children before going to school. One of the reasons why they faint or get scared is they go to school on an empty stomach),” he said.

He also advised parents and guardians to check if their children are physically fit for immunization. Those who have fever and other symptoms may defer the vaccination.

Bakuna Eskwela is DOH’s school-based immunization program, which aims to protect learners against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD), such as measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and cervical cancer due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

These VPDs could lead to severe complications and death if not addressed appropriately and in a timely manner.

The two-month immunization drive will cover learners in the first and seventh grade level for vaccines against measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria and female learners in the fourth grade level for HPV jabs.

Maddumba said concerned learners must bring their routine immunization card on the day of vaccination to check if they have completed all of the jabs and to avoid administering extra doses.

While the adverse effects following immunization are mostly mild, such as low-grade fever and pain on the injection site, Maddumba advised parents and guardians to report immediately severe adverse effects to the nearest health center or hospital.

The DOH earlier said it targets to immunize 2 million children annually. However, the current vaccination rate is only at 34 percent with about 1.32 million children needing to be vaccinated this year. (PNA)