Davao aims to inoculate 40,000 children with vaccinations
Vaccinating Davao City's Future: A Crusade for Children's Health
The City Health Office (CHO) of Davao City has gear up for a massive vaccination drive, targeting around 40,545 children by 2025. Dr. Annaliza S. Malubay, CHO's City National Immunization Program Medical Coordinator, shared this ambitious goal, explaining that reaching 95% of this targeted population is vital to achieving herd immunity.
In the face of a less-than-stellar performance in 2024, when CHO only managed to vaccinate 59% of the 40,169 targeted children, Malubay is optimistic about the upcoming campaign. "Once we hit the 95%, we'll have an excellent level of protection through herd immunity," she said during the ISpeak media forum at the City Hall Training Hall on April 24, 2025.
For school-based immunization, the coverage wasn't much better—only 46% of the estimated 30,000 enrolled students were vaccinated. Malubay urged parents, especially those with children in private schools, to ensure their kids receive their shots. She explained that when CHO visited private schools in March, many students had already concluded their school year, limiting their outreach. To combat this issue, CHO plans to include more private schools in their upcoming school-based campaigns to bolster coverage.
Beyond school-based initiatives, the CHO is partnering with Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), purok leaders, and barangay officials to boost vaccination rates at the community level. They aim to focus on areas with high vaccine hesitancy, engaging directly with residents to alleviate concerns. The CHO also continues its "defaulter tracking" initiative, conducting door-to-door visits to identify and vaccinate children who began but didn't complete their immunization schedules.
Malubay also assured the public that Davao City has sufficient vaccine supplies due to Department of Health (DOH) deliveries. Last year's six-month vaccine shortage, she noted, contributed to the lower coverage.
In celebration of World Immunization Week, the CHO has scheduled vaccination days at NCCC Victoria Plaza on April 28 - 30 and May 2 - 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Routine vaccines will be available for children aged six weeks to 59 months. Additional vaccines for Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, and Diphtheria will be offered to children aged 6-7 and 12-13 years. HPV vaccines will also be available for girls aged 9-14 years.
While specific strategies tailored by the Davao City Health Office for increasing childhood vaccination rates in 2025 aren't detailly outlined, regional efforts such as the Soccsksargen Regional Immunization Coalition (SRIC) and disease-related initiatives may influence broader strategies. The SRIC aims to strengthen immunization governance, support service delivery, and enhance community engagement, while targeting diseases like measles and rabies. Additionally, Davao City is addressing mpox cases, involving health protocols to prevent infections. These efforts suggest that the CHO may employ strategies such as community engagement, intersectoral collaboration, and targeted outreach to boost vaccination rates.
- Dr. Malubay emphasized the importance of vaccinating 95% of Davao City's targeted children by 2025 to reach herd immunity.
- Despite achieving only 59% vaccination coverage for children in 2024, Dr. Malubay remains optimistic about the upcoming vaccination drive.
- CHO is partnering with community leaders and Barangay Health Workers to increase vaccination rates, focusing on areas with vaccine hesitancy.
- In 2025, the CHO is organizing vaccination days at NCCC Victoria Plaza, offering routine vaccines, Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria, HPV vaccines for specific age groups.
- The Soccsksargen Regional Immunization Coalition and Davao City's disease-related initiatives may inspire the CHO to adopt strategies such as community engagement, intersectoral collaboration, and targeted outreach to boost vaccination rates.
