The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) called on parents and caregivers of children below five years old to avail of supplemental immunization at the nearest health center or vaccination post, so the province could get at least 95 percent of the target population vaccinated.

“I am hoping and praying that we can achieve the target of 95 percent in the remaining two days. We still have to reach more or less 10,000,” IPHO head Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon said in an interview.

The province has posted an accomplishment of 88.19 percent, which is equivalent to 142,491 of the 161,566 target children as of June 13.

She said the IPHO met with presidents and barangay health coordinators on Tuesday afternoon to tackle ways to convince parents to have their children vaccinated.

“They are influencers in their barangays so they can help a lot in convincing the parents,” she added.

Quiñon said parents should no longer wait for the June 15 deadline before bringing their children to vaccination sites.

“This is a safe vaccine and has been proven to protect children from death that could be due to complications from measles,” she added.

Based on data provided by the IPHO, seven municipalities and the component city of Passi are among those that have vaccination rates below 83 percent.

The municipality of Badiangan, which posted a 56.18 percent accomplishment rate, needs to locate 874 recipients. Igbaras with a 64.51 percent vaccination rate has 814 children who are left unvaccinated, while Zarraga with a 64.81 percent accomplishment has 645 kids yet to get the vaccine. San Joaquin, which posed a 67.34 percent vax rate, still has 1,197 unvaccinated kids and New Lucena, with a 67.82 percent accomplishment, still has to find 526 kids.

Passi City, while it has 82.21 percent accomplishment, still has 859 target kids who have yet to get inoculated. Dumangas has 803 children left unvaccinated amid its 81.09 percent accomplishment, and Janiuay has 1,260 target recipients, having a 71.38 percent accomplishment.

Quiñon, meanwhile, lauded local government units that have posted accomplishment rates higher than the provincial target, such as the municipalities of Batad, Sara, Lemery, Sta. Barbara, Mina, San Enrique, Tigbauan, Concepcion, Barotac Viejo, Miagao, Guimbal, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Leganes, San Dionision, and Tubungan.Perla Lena/PNA