ZAMBOANGA CITY – A nine-year old girl from Basilan’s Maluso town was tested positive for polio as health authorities on Tuesday urged parents and guardians to have their children less than five years old immunize against the potentially deadly infectious disease.
Health Undersecretary Dr. Myrna Cabotaje went to Basilan, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, and confirmed the new case, bringing to 8 the number of those infected with the poliovirus. The girl had not received any vaccines for Polio.
Samples taken from the girl and sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan came out positive. A sample of throat secretions, stool or a colorless fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord is checked for poliovirus.
The Department of Health said it is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Health in the autonomous region to intensify polio vaccination efforts in Basilan as it reminded the public to take advantage of the immunization in Mindanao until December 7.
During the campaign dubbed as “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio,” all children regardless of immunization status will be given a dose of the oral polio vaccine by health workers who will go house-to-house to ensure that all children are vaccinated. Health centers, government hospitals, fixed vaccination posts in villages will also be providing vaccination.
Three others cases of poliovirus were also recorded in Mindanao. The first case is a two year-old girl from Maguindanao province; the second is a one year-old boy from Cotabato City and the third is a four year-old girl from North Cotabato. All of them are currently admitted at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center.
The first two cases were unvaccinated with the polio vaccine, while the third received incomplete doses. (Zamboanga Post)
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