A parent holds on to her daughter as the child receives vaccination during DOH's supplemental immunization activity, Chikiting Ligtas, at the Manila Zoo on May 4, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The number of children vaccinated against measles and polio under the government's "Chikiting Ligtas" campaign has reached 8.7 million, the Department of Health said Tuesday.
The agency launched this month a nationwide supplemental immunization campaign to inoculate the youth against vaccine-preventable diseases.
In a statement, the DOH said some 6,750,475 million were vaccinated against measles, or 69.56 percent of the total eligible population.
Meanwhile, some 2,024,747 children received the polio vaccine, or 67.72 percent of the total eligible population.
Additionally, the agency has distributed vitamin A supplementation to 3,471,940 children.
Based on the UNICEF's latest global report, some 67 million children partially or fully missed routine vaccines globally between 2019 and 2021.
Of the 67 million children whose vaccinations were "severely disrupted," 48 million missed out on routine vaccines entirely, also known as "zero-dose," UNICEF said, flagging concerns about potential polio and measles outbreaks.
The Philippines has 1,048,000 zero dose children, the second highest in East Asia and the Pacific Region, and the fifth highest globally.
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