Health authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have asked the Department of Health (DOH) for an extension of its measles and rubella vaccination campaign for children after completing only 88 percent of their total target as of Wednesday.

The nationwide measles-rubella immunization drive has earlier been set from Oct. 26 to Nov. 25 this year.

“We have asked the DOH to extend the region’s vaccination drive up to Dec. 11 as we started late in Lanao del Sur province,” said Dr. Amirel Usman, acting MOH-BARMM chief, in an interview Thursday.

Usman noted that they started vaccinating children in Lanao del Sur on Nov. 3, and the city therein of Marawi City on November 9.

He cited strict health protocols earlier set by the Lanao provincial government against coronavirus disease as the reason for the delay in their immunization drive in the area.

Both Lanao del Sur and Marawi City were placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine scheme from Oct. 1- 31 due to the high prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 cases.

Currently, he said only 483,196 or 88 percent of the targeted 506,148 children have been immunized across the region.

“We are trying to achieve at least a 95 percent accomplishment in this campaign,” Usman said.

He said they have managed to complete a 100 percent drive completion in Lamitan City; followed by Maguindanao (96 percent; Sulu (93 percent); Lanao del Sur (85 percent); Tawi-Tawi (84 percent); Basilan (64 percent); and Marawi City (53 percent). The measles-rubella campaign targets children aged nine months to five years old across the region. (PNA)

Photo Credit: www.bangsamoro.gov.ph