The Department of Health and the city government launched this year’s School-Based Immunization (SBI) program on October 3 at Manuel Austria Memorial Elementary School.
Under the program, vaccines against measles, rubella, and tetanus will be given to Grade 1 and Grade 7 students, while Grade 4 girls will receive the HPV vaccine, provided their parents have given consent.
Health officials said the initiative aims to protect children who have not yet been immunized and those who need booster doses, especially if they were vaccinated before reaching one year old. The HPV vaccine, meanwhile, is intended to protect against cervical cancer.
Authorities urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the free vaccines and to monitor upcoming schedules in their respective schools.
