The city government remains hopeful of achieving its target in the ongoing synchronized polio immunization campaign despite continuing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Dr. Rochelle Oco, acting head of the City Health Office (CHO), said they have expanded the house-to-house visits to ensure that they fully cover all eligible children aged five years old and below.

She said vaccination teams were deployed in all 26 barangays on Monday morning in line with the start of the two-week Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio, which will end on Aug. 2.

Under the third round of the campaign, CHO is targeting anew to vaccinate a total of 75,575 children in the city.

It has coordinated with the barangay officials and community leaders to properly locate the targeted children.

Oco said they adopted strict protocols to ensure that the health teams and residents will be protected against the spread of Covid-19.

She cited the use of face masks and other protective equipment as well as the practice of safe physical distancing.

The official said it is important that all eligible children will get the doses of monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2) to increase their immunity against poliovirus.

“Before Covid-19 came, we already have a polio outbreak here in the country. But we can prevent polio because we have available vaccines,” she said in a statement.

She reiterated that mOPV2, which was recommended by the World Health Organization, is “free, safe and effective”. (PNA)