Gov't to vaccinate 13 M children in September

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government said today that it will vaccinate 13 million children against measles, rubella and polio starting Sept. 1.

Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Janet Garin said the program will be conducted for a month and cover children up to 5 years old, whether or not they have been vaccinated against the three diseases in the past.

"The large cohort of 2.7 million new babies born every year leads to quick accumulation of susceptibles. Widespread domestic population movements, further aggravated by disasters contribute to the spread of diseases," said Garin.

The Philippine government's vaccination scheme was initially designed to target measles, but officials decided to include rubella and polio to keep the country free from these diseases.

The DOH said it will spend P200 million ($4.57 million) for the nationwide vaccination program.